


Stranded

by MyThoughtBubbles



Category: Naruto
Genre: Airplane Crashes, Blood and Gore, Bombs, Fighting, Jaguars, M/M, SasuNaru - Freeform, ShikaTem, Violence, island sex, kakairu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-16 19:38:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 117,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2282088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyThoughtBubbles/pseuds/MyThoughtBubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stuck on an island after a plane crash, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki are isolated and have to learn to survive together. Between imitating Bear Grylls, hitting each other with sticks, and fighting off jaguars, they begin to do more than just survive. Iruka Umino is forced to work with Kakashi Hatake to try and find them before anything else happens...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm on a plane

**Author's Note:**

> Get some popcorn and read on!

Lightning streaked across the night sky as eighteen- year-old Naruto Uzumaki turned to gaze nervously out the passenger side window. He never enjoyed riding in planes, much less at night and especially not during a thunderstorm. The thunder was violently vibrating the plane, causing him to tightly grip the leathery hand rests and clench his teeth. The gray cumulonimbus clouds were shrouding the world in a blanket of darkness, leaving Naruto only to be able to see his reflection on the glass, illuminated by the cabin lights. His blond, spiky, unkempt hair, normally wild and untamable, was now slightly drooping, seeming to reflect his mood. His sapphire blue eyes were anxiously darting back and forth while his tongue came out to lick his slightly plump pink lips. This was a bad idea. He knew it. The pilot knew it. Hell, the plane probably knew it, but couldn’t do anything ‘cuz it couldn’t drive itself. What the hell had made him decide to take a plane in the middle of thunderstorm?......Oh yea, his guardian Iruka had asked him to come be a replacement for an employee he had fired. Iruka had dismissed the man for laundering the company’s money and selling secrets to rival companies. On the bright side, Naruto now had a job and was going to be paid quite handsomely. On the sucky side, he now had to ride in a nerve-wracking plane ride for a couple of hours while flying over open waters in a thunderstorm. Joy. 

Sighing loudly, he unclenched his fingers and flexed them. Looking around the dimly lit cabin, he once again observed that he was the only passenger on the left side of the place, sitting near the middle. He spied some black hair peeping over another seat on the right side of the plane, but he couldn’t see the person’s profile. He absent-mindedly wondered why another human being would be dumb enough to fly in a thunderstorm, but it wasn’t really any of his business and he really didn’t care. Other than the both of them, he didn’t see anybody else, besides the occasional pink-haired stewardess who oddly kept hovering around the raven haired person and utterly ignoring Naruto.

Letting out a gust of air, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Once he got off the plane and found Iruka, he would take a nice long nap. After that, he would go out to eat his most favorite food in the entire world. Ramen, otherwise known as the food of the gods, was his go to food, easily made and affordable. Now that he would have a nice pay raise, he was going to stock up and try as many flavors as possible. Pork, beef, chicken, shrimp; no favor was going to be left uneaten. Oh, life was good. Soooo good. Wiping drool from his chin, he opened his eyes and decided to go to sleep to pass the time. Opening his carry-on bag, he unzipped one of the inner pockets and pulled out his ipod. Turning it on and putting the ear buds in, he selected his classical music playlist . The soft classical music quickly lulled him to sleep, his mouth falling open beginning to snore lightly. 

Nineteen-year-old Sasuke Uchiha mentally sighed for the millionth time. He was already tired enough from a rough day at the Uchiha companies and this annoying pink-haired stewardess was not making it better. He had already tried ignoring her, but she wouldn’t get the hint and leave. Glancing down at his Rolex, he noticed with a slight eyebrow lift that the girl had been incessantly talking to him for around twenty minutes. He had hoped someone else would need her attention but the only other passenger was a blond guy sitting further behind him. Although the blond had attempted several times to get the girl’s attention, she kept ignoring him, leaving Sasuke as her lone prisoner. 

Once again trying to ignore her, looked down at his impeccable black suit and plucked off a random silver hair on his arm. Kakashi. This whole trip was his godfather’s doing. Simply because his brother, the president, had suddenly decided to go on a vacation to the middle of fucking nowhere, did not mean he was needed. But as the future vice president to the Uchiha Empire, and Kakashi’s orders, he was required to step up to the plate and fill in for Itachi. As good as he was at his job, Itachi was by far the best. High expectations had already been set for him and try as he might, he never could quite catch up to his older brother. His sadistic brother was simply a fucking genius at what he did. And now he….. wait, what was that god-awful noise? Oh. The girl was still talking. Pressing his lips tightly together, he mentally sighed again. Time to end this before he ended up ‘accidentally’ committing first degree murder. Summoning his best Uchiha glare, he glanced up at her.

“And then I told her that I didn’t like that color because it clashes with my hair and –“. The girl’s perpetual speech faltered as Sasuke turned to look at her, his obsidian eyes staring right at her. Nervously she tried to continue. “Umm, yea and I… she…”. The black eyes staring intently at her seemed to cast an illusion, rendering her speechless and at the same time frightening her. Unconsciously stepping backwards, she quickly uttered a good-bye and turned to leave him alone. Slightly smirking, Sasuke turned and leaned back into his seat. Now then, time for some peace and quiet. 

(Insert irritating snore noise here)

“Oh, Fuck”. Eyes narrowing into slits, he scanned the cabin, searching for the stupid noise. Seeing as it was only him and the blond in the cabin, he deduced that it was mostly likely the blond that was snoring.

(Insert obnoxiously loud irritating snore noises here)

Keeping his face in the classic Uchiha mask of no emotion, he balled a random sheet of paper from his brief-case and then turned and threw it at the other guy. No response. His irritation building, he balled up more papers and proceeded to chuck them over at the poor unsuspecting Naruto.

A heavy sleeper, Naruto could literally sleep through anything. Even through a hailstorm of paper balls. Not a shoe though, they hurt. 

“Jesus, fuck! Ow!” Jerking awake, Naruto furiously rubbed his head. Blinking away his sleepiness, he looked around for what had been thrown and why. Finding an innocent looking black dress shoe among a graveyard of balled up papers, he held it up incredulously. Glancing up, he saw a raven haired person looking at him. Slightly surprised, he noticed that the bastard was pretty hot. Too bad he was going to have to mess that pretty face up. With his fists. Repeatedly. 

Noticing that the blond had finally woken up, Sasuke smirked at Naruto. At least now he—

“Oi Teme, did you just throw this at me?!” Naruto shouted out.

“…Hn.”

“The fuck does that mean?!” The stupid bastard was just looking at him with the whole holier-than-thou look and it was pissing Naruto off. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

“Dobe shut up and hand me my shoe. I’ve had enough of your stupid noises for today.” Sasuke was feeling a major headache coming on and desperately wanted some sleep, but messing with blond seemed like it would be somewhat entertaining and worth braving a migraine.

Naruto gaped in disbelief at the asshole. “I haven’t spoken to you at all, I’ve been asleep!” Naruto glared at Sasuke, his blue eyes flashing with anger.

“Precisely. You’ve been asleep snoring loud enough to rouse the dead. Can’t you sleep more quietly? Or is that too difficult for a moron like you to do?” Sasuke smirked. At least he had some decent entertainment now. Blondie was getting fierce. Kind of like when those little dogs you see bark viciously at you, but run away if you get close.

 _Oh hell no._ This teme was just begging to get beat up and who was Naruto to deny his request? Quickly remembering that he had gotten in major trouble with Iruka last time he got in fight, he tried to calm himself down and at least warn the bastard of what was to come. Naruto unbuckled his seat belt and stood. 

Seeing sunshine stand up, Sasuke arched an elegant brow and also unbuckled his seat belt and waited. It had been a long time since he had gotten in a fight, but he regularly worked out and deemed himself as being relatively strong and fit. His eyebrow arched higher when he heard what sunshine was saying.

Naruto walked over to the raven haired douche and brought with him the douche’s shoe. “Listen here, teme, I’m not supposed to be fighting bastards who think they’re the kings of the world. I strongly advise you to turn around and shut the hell up before I make you. Now, what’s it going to be?” Handing over the shoe, Naruto crossed his arms and waited, staring down at Sasuke, trying to look intimidating despite his slightly smaller statue. He noticed that the bastard had thin face with eyes as black as night (without the moon or stars that is). His black hair was gently falling in spikes around his face, with the back of his head looking like a duck’s butt. Said bastard was now staring back at him with a stoic mask.

“Hn.”

A vein of anger began to protrude on Naruto’s forehead, his face turning redder and redder. The bastard should at least give him a straight answer! Grabbing Sasuke by the lapels of his suit, Naruto hauled Sasuke up and pulled him close to his face, trying to ignore the fact that the teme was taller than him. 

“Alright, you asked for this you-“Naruto began, but a voice on the plane’s intercom interrupted him.

“Ladies and Gentleman, unfortunately the thunderstorm has progressed to a point in which lightning may or may not affect the plane. We may experience a bit of turbulence and we ask that you please buckle your seatbelts and enjoy the rest of your flight. Thank you for flying with Uchiha Airlines.”

Naruto looked over at Sasuke, confusion evident on his face. “Oi teme, what’s turbulence?....Oh shit, are we gonna die?? Is the plane crashing? Dammit, I knew this was bad idea, I fucking knew it!” Eyes widening in horror, Naruto let go of Sasuke and stepped back. “Oh God, I’m too young to die.”

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke glared at the terrified blond. “Calm down dobe. He just means the plane is going to shake a little, that’s all.” _Seriously, is this guy stupid or what?_ Rubbing his temples to alleviate his headache, Sasuke looked around for the stewardess. He wanted some alcohol and she seemed to be conveniently missing now. 

“Teme my name is Naruto, not ‘dobe’! I’m Uzumaki Naruto, eighteen-year-old extraordinaire!” Grinning wildly despite his nervousness, he poked the raven on the chest. “What’s your name bastard? And don’t give me any of that ‘Hn’ shit, I want a real answer.”

 _Naruto, huh? What a strange name. It kinda rolled off the tongue. Naarruto._ Drawing up to his full height, Sasuke looked down at Naruto. “I don’t see why you should know my name, but for your information, my name is Sasuke. You should probably go back to your seat now, before the turbulence starts.” 

Not liking having to look up at Sasuke, Naruto stepped further back, his back hitting the seat in front of Sasuke’s. “Good idea. Well, it was nice meeting you,” Naruto said sarcastically. Turning to step back to the aisle, he stumbled when the plane began to shake. The plane was jerking up and down, causing Naruto to lose his balance. Tripping on Sasuke’s briefcase, he fell onto Sasuke, pushing both of them into Sasuke’s seat. Opening his eyes, realized he had somehow ended up sitting in Sasuke’s lap facing him directly. His face blushing, Naruto began to push away, only to have to hold on to Sasuke when the plane began tilt dangerously to the right. 

Sasuke fell roughly into his seat with Naruto falling on top of him. Going to shout at the blond, he stopped when he realized that said blond was now sitting inappropriately in his lap. Watching Naruto open his eyes, Sasuke saw him begin to blush. The red was spreading across his face, making his gorgeous sapphire eyes stand out more. Sasuke was taken aback when Naruto moved to get off him, but instead ended up tightly griping his shoulders when the plane shuddered. _This isn’t good, he thought. This was not a bit of turbulence._

Suddenly, there was monstrous explosion on the right wing, jerking the plane in the air. Barely managing to hold on his seat, Sasuke thrust an arm out to grab on to Naruto, missing him when the plane was shoved to the left. Naruto flew off Sasuke and slammed into the plane wall and slumped to the floor. “Naruto!” he shouted, panicking when Naruto didn’t respond. Through the small window on his right, Sasuke saw in horror as the flaming wing detached and fell, taking with it a much needed engine. Lightning ripped across the sky, the thunder deafening and violently shaking the cabin. Through the smoke that billowed out, Sasuke saw fire begin to race towards the cabin, burning strong despite the rain. Spiraling down, the plane was once again struck by something, this time in the front. The entire cockpit erupted into blinding light, the sounds of breaking glass and shrieking metal ringing in the air. The small curtain leading to the cockpit quickly burned away, with flames now licking into the cabin where Naruto and Sasuke were.

The cabin lights began to flicker on and off, only to turn off permanently. Bathing the cabin in dancing orange light, the fire leapt onto the first row seats, the smell of burning polyester and hot metal filling the air. A slight popping sound began when the oxygen masks were released, dangling helplessly in the smoke filled air. A huge groaning sound was hear when the plane began to hurdle towards the ground, dropping at an incredible speed.

The heat hitting him like a furnace, Sasuke struggled to make his way over to Naruto. Debris from the explosions littered the floor with little fires. Smoke was quickly filling up the room, making breathing difficult. Sasuke coughed and held up his arm to protect his eyes from the acrid smoke. “Naruto!!” he yelled out hoarsely, the smoke burning his throat. Stepping around chunks of metal, he finally made it over to the blond. Bending down, he gently rolled Naruto over and shook him. Glancing at the window closest to him, Sasuke noticed with a pale face that the ocean was rapidly rushing up to meet the airplane, illuminated by the fires burning brightly and rippling with rain. The blood rushing out of his already pale face at the thought of the inevitable crash, he turned back to Naruto and shook him harder.

“Shit shit shit! Oh Jesus, fuck! Naruto get up, the planes crashing!”


	2. Welcome to the Jungle

“-the planes crashing! Wake the fuck up!!” 

Naruto groggily opened his eyes, his back and head aching from the when he hit the wall. _Ow, he thought. My head hurts. What the hell happened? Oh shit, why is the world shaking?_ Realizing that Sasuke was talking to him, he tried to pay attention. _Wait, the plane was WHAT?!_

Sasuke noticed that Naruto had finally woken up and stopped shaking him. Relief flooded into him, but it was soon gone when the plane lurched down. Grabbing onto Naruto’s arms, he hauled the blond up and pulled him to the back of the plane. 

“Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean the plane is crashing? I thought it was turbulence!” Naruto pulled his arms out of Sasuke’s hands and steadied himself against a seat. He reached up to touch his head and winced when he felt a huge bump the back of his head.

“Look around you moron, does this look like turbulence!? There are fires everywhere and the front part of the plane is gone. Oh, and we’re headed straight for the Pacific Ocean. Now hurry up, we have to get out of here.” Sasuke made his way to the back area where the stewardesses usually were and began to rifle through the cabinets.

“Dammit, I KNEW this was a bad idea. I hate planes.” Naruto moaned. He quickly went over to Sasuke and helped him look through the cabinets. Wait, what was Sasuke even looking for? Shouldn’t they be jumping out the door or something? They could land in the water! “Umm, Sasuke?”

“What!? Can’t you see I’m trying to save our asses!?” Sasuke ripped open another cabinet and threw the items inside to the ground. Nothing! They have to be in here somewhere! The fire had gotten closer, slowly closing in on them. 

“Teme, exactly how? The fires getting closer and we’re kinda still here. If this is your idea of saving our asses, you suck at it.” Naruto said condescendingly. Turning away, he opened a cabinet and found a fire extinguisher. ”Yes, look what I found!” Naruto pulled off the tag and turned to show it to Sasuke. 

Sasuke glanced back and stared at him with an expressionless face. “You do realize that it’s basically useless right? We have around _maybe_ six minutes before the plane hits water and we drown. Burning to death is not really a problem here.”

“Bastard, I’m trying to help!! What the hell are you even looking for? You’re just throwing shit on the ground!” Naruto dropped the fire extinguisher and crossed his arms. Sasuke stood up and glared at him. 

“I’m looking for the parachutes, dobe. What did you think, we just jump out and land safely in the water?”

“…… No.”

“At this altitude, we would end up smashing into the water and dying upon impact. Water doesn’t compress, it would be the same as if landing on concrete.” Sasuke crouched down, jerked open the last cabinet, and found some parachutes. “Found them! Alright, come on, put it on.” 

Sasuke held out the hideous orange backpack to Naruto and took the dark blue on for himself. Turning to the plane door, he struggled to properly put on the parachute. Coughing, he noticed his vision was slightly darkening and he was having trouble breathing. The smoke had become thicker and blocked off most of the light the fires had been emitting. He leaned against the wall and kept coughing violently. He vision blurring, he rubbed his eyes and shook his head, trying to clear his bleary sight. I’ve been breathing too much smoke, he thought. I forgot to keep my mouth covered while trying to wake Naruto up and now it’s coming to bite me in the ass. Awe shit.

Naruto secured the straps his pack and moved over to Sasuke. “Okay, let’s do this ….Wait, why aren’t you wearing yours yet? And why are you coughing so much?”

“Dobe, help me with the straps, _*cough*_ I can’t tie them properly. It’s nothing, I probably inhaled too much smoke.” Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and willed himself to stand up straight. As Naruto tied the pack correctly, Sasuke cocked his head. He kept hearing a slight beeping noise. “Naruto, do you hear that?”

“Hear what? I don’t hear anything besides the fire burning things and the rain.”

Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to find the direction of the noise. It was faint, but loud enough to be heard over the weather. Opening his eyes he walked towards the bathroom and found it sounded strongest in there. 

“Oi teme, are you sure you aren’t hearing things? Maybe you hit your hea-“

“Naruto, shut up! It’s coming from the*cough* bathroom.” Opening the door, he curiously looked inside. All the blood instantly drained from his face and his heart dropped in his chest. Sitting innocently in the sink, there was a relatively small black box with a screen. Displayed on the screen of the box were flashing green numbers. 00:06. 00:05. Closing the door and shoving himself away from the bathroom, Sasuke ran over to Naruto and pushed him towards the middle of the plane. 

“Ow, what now?” Naruto was getting tired of constantly being clueless of what was going on and being shoved one way and pushed another. The fact that the bastard was hearing things was only adding to his frustration. 

“NARUTO, GET DOWN IT’S A BOMB!!” 

Sasuke roared at the blond, his heart furiously pounding in his chest and his breath coming in gasps. Naruto paled and threw himself at the plane’s floor, for once not bothering to say anything. 00:02. 00:01. 00:00. The bomb exploded; the bathroom walls distorting and cracking before being ripped apart. Hearing the final beeps, Sasuke threw his body over Naruto’s, taking most of the hit from the shock wave and projectiles. Pieces of the bathroom were thrown in the air, the chunks of door and wall raining down on them. 

Shaking, Sasuke realized he could barely hear anything besides a high pitched ringing noise. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion around him. Trying to stand up, the world was swirling around him, a mass of red, orange and black. He rubbed his eyes and began to look for Naruto in the colors. Seeing double, he reached out and steadied himself on one of the few remaining seats. Razor blades of pain ran up his legs, causing him to fall to his knees with a wordless cry. 

Naruto felt Sasuke land heavily on him and felt the plane shake violently with the explosion. He then felt Sasuke get off of him and struggle to his feet. Naruto stood up and looked around. “Shit that was close. God, my head hurts even worse than before. I have had it with these motherfucking bombs on this motherfucking airplane!” Naruto twisted around to find Sasuke and realized that Sasuke was falling to his knees, bleeding. 

“TEME! Oh shit, what happened!? Are you okay?” 

Naruto crouched down closely beside Sasuke, and looked at Sasuke’s legs, afraid to even touch him. Pieces of shrapnel were embedded into the backs of Sasuke’s thighs and calves, ruining his expensive trousers. Blood slowly seeped out, staining the carpet a deep scarlet.

Sasuke faintly heard Naruto talking. It sounded like he was speaking underwater. “Dobe just….shut _*cough*_ up. I’m perfectly…..fine…” As he was saying this, everything was fading to black. The pain wasn’t too bad, but it was bad enough that standing wasn’t a good idea. Absentmindedly, he wondered why Naruto smelled so odd. He smelled like ramen. Gross.

“No, you’re not! How did this even happen? I’m not hur-.”Eyes widening, Naruto remembered that Sasuke had dropped on top of him and had probably taken the brunt of the explosion along with all the shrapnel that had been flung in their direction. Anger welling up inside of him, Naruto bowed his head and bit his lip, his fists shaking with rage. “You stupid bastard! Why did you protect me?! Now look at you! You should have just let me get hit too!”

“…How should I know..? My body just….moved…on its own…” Passing out, Sasuke slumped down and leaned against Naruto. 

“SASUKE! No, wake up!” 

Naruto wanted to shake Sasuke awake, but knew the bastard was out cold, leaving him alone. Now it was up to him to be the hero. Licking his cracked lips, he looked out the closest window, he saw that they were no longer over the ocean but on what looked to be an island. The plane was just barely flying over the tree tops and was bouncing up and down with the hits from the taller trees. Swallowing his fear, he made a plan. Okay, time for some action. I’ll grab Sasuke and jump out the plane and land safely on the sand. Nodding to himself, Naruto hooked his arms under Sasuke’s and dragged the raven to the plane’s door. He propped Sasuke up to the frame and checked his pack. Turning around to see if he had forgotten anything, he twisted back around to Sasuke…….just in time to see Sasuke sliding out of the plane headfirst.

“OH SWEET JESUS!!” 

Naruto cried. Without thinking, he ran to the exit and leapt out. “GERONIMO!!” He began to fall and immediately caught up with the flying raven. I’m like Superman! Wrapping an arm around Sasuke’s torso, he pulled the string to release his parachutes’ canopy. The string came out, but the parachute was nowhere to be found. Naruto froze. Oh shit, what do I do now? …….Oh! The reserve parachute!

Naruto quickly pulled the main parachute cutaway handle and yanked on the reserves’ handle. The parachute sprung out, slowing down their descent. Dropping to tree level, Naruto realized with a groan that now the trees were dangerously close to the parachute. _Maybe we’ll land safely in a tree and not fall to our deaths...….Whoa that tree is pretty big…….and getting really close…...I fucking hate planes so mu-._

Slamming into tree branches, Sasuke slipped out of Naruto’s arm and fell onto a tree, falling from branch to branch. Naruto had gotten tangled the tree and had managed to hit his head against a branch, also getting knocked out cold. 

The storm slowly began to stop, while in the distance, there was a giant crash as the plane met the island. 

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

A soft breeze gently blew across Sasuke’s face, his hair brushing him against his cheeks. The sound of waves crashing against a shore and the warmth of the sun woke him up. Scrunching his face, he cracked his eyes open and moaned. His whole body ached and his throat burned. He was lying on his back next to a huge palm tree. _Fuck, what happened? All I remember is the plane kept exploding and that I threw myself on Naruto. Bombs…Those bombs were obviously put there intentionally. Whoever put them on the plane was trying to kill one of us. When I find the motherfucker who did it, he’s dead._ Smirking, Sasuke thought of the best ways to punish the culprit. _I bet Naruto might have some good ideas………then again, he seems too dumb to have any type of a good idea. …Wait, where is he?_ Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sasuke pushed himself up and looked around. _How did I even get here? … No time for questions, I have to go find the dobe before he undoubtedly does something stupid and hurts himself._

Bending his knees, pain erupted from his legs. Looking down, he noticed that something was sticking out of his legs. Moving the material of his trousers away, Sasuke winced as he saw the pieces of metal embedded in his skin. Taking a deep breath, he grasped one of the pieces and pulled it out. Thankfully, it wasn’t too deep in and only a small trickle of blood leaked out. He repeated this process for the remaining shards, keeping his face from showing any evidence of the pain he felt. _Now that I think about it, why did I take the hit for Naruto? It’s not like I like the dobe….. So why?_ All Sasuke could clearly remember from that moment is that he had the instinctive urge to protect the blond. He didn’t deny the fact that he thought the blond was attractive, but that didn’t explain his actions. Gripping the tree, he forced himself to stand and take a couple steps. The pain was bad, but it wasn’t overwhelming him. He was an Uchiha, so he could handle it with ease. “Naruto!” he called out hoarsely, his throat begging for water. 

Naruto had woken up to the sounds of birds chirping. A nice breeze had made him shiver and he opened his eyes. He found himself fully tangled in the parachutes strings, hanging from a tree branch. _I’m alive!! Oh Christ, I’m not dead!!.....How do I get down now?_ He had one arm stuck above him and the other stuck to his body. His legs were also caught, one sort of loose and the other bent at the knee. Wiggling around, he tried to untangle himself but succeeded in making it worse and, somehow, giving himself vertigo. Remembering that he had a Swiss army pocket knife he’d snuck with him on the plane, he struggled to reach into his right pocket and pull it out. Getting a weak grip on it, he carefully pulled it out and opened the small blade on it. He slowly pushed the blade against the strings on his leg and began to cut. Feeling the string break, Naruto let out a shout of joy. “Yes!” In his excitement, he accidentally let go of the knife. “NO!” The blade fell from his hand and landed with a plop in the sand. “Are you kidding me right now?! Are you serious! Uggghhh!” Letting out a shout of frustration, Naruto began to twist around, his loose leg flailing around aimlessly. After wearing himself out and scaring the nearby island creatures, he decided he needed a break and calmed down. 

“Naruto!”

Naruto’s ears perked up as he heard his name. Lifting his head, he searched the ground below him, looking for the caller. Sasuke! _Yes, the teme has come to help me!_ Beginning to swing lightly, he answered happily. “Sasuke! I’m up here!”

Sasuke had been limping around for about six minutes looking for the dobe. Finally hearing Naruto answer, he looked up to see sunshine hanging in a tree by parachute strings. Naruto was hanging up around twenty feet off the ground. Relieved, he rolled his eyes, and walked underneath the blonde. “Naruto, what are you doing?”

“Oh, you know, just hanging around. Ha.” 

Smirking, Sasuke cocked his head. “Way to go dobe. I figured you would do something stupid.” The blonde was just trapped…..hmm an interesting position. _If the situation was different, I wouldn’t mind having the dobe tied up….Wait, I did not just think that. Fucking hormones._ Shaking his head of images of Naruto in various states of undress, He uncomfortably shifted in his pants and bent down to pick up the knife he spotted on the floor. 

“Teme, it’s your fault I’m like this! If your dumbass hadn’t passed out and made me save it, I wouldn’t be up here!!” Naruto shouted out, his face turning red. At least the bastard could thank him!! It was thanks to Naruto’s awesome ninja skills that they both were almost unhurt. 

Frowning, Sasuke looked up at the blonde. “Passed out?” That explained why he couldn’t remember anything after the last explosion. 

“Yeah you did. And then I saved our asses and now we’re here. Since I saved your ass, you owe me. Help me down.” Naruto wiggled some more to emphasize his problem. “By the way, where are we?”

“I’ve looked around for a bit while I was looking for you. We are probably on an island in the pacific.” He turned to look Naruto in the eyes. “I think we’re stranded.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *badum tiss*


	3. Let's get physical

Slipping the knife into his pocket, Sasuke slowly walked around the tree that held Naruto, contemplating on how to climb it. The trunk was pretty thick and there weren’t any branches close enough to climb on. Getting Naruto down was going to be a challenge.

“Stranded? Great, that’s just fantastic. We’re going to die here.” Naruto moaned, the strings beginning to dig uncomfortably into his skin. “We’re going to starve to death and all that delicious ramen I was planning on eating is going to go waste.” Blinking, Naruto realized eating any ramen was now impossible. “No! All my ramen!!!” Naruto twisted and squirmed, his urge to get down ignited.

“Stop whining, dobe. We’re lucky to have survived this far.” Wrinkling his nose, Sasuke looked back at Naruto. “Ramen isn’t good for you, why would you….. Stop moving you moron, you’re making it worse!”

Naruto stopped moving and glared at Sasuke. “Well then get me down! We have to build a raft and go home to eat ramen!” 

Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. “Seriously? That’s the reason you want to go home for? To eat artery clogging ramen? God, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought.” Shaking his head, Sasuke found a crevice behind the tree that looked like he could use it as a step. Putting his right foot inside, he cautiously hefted himself up, ignoring the pain in his legs. He found another crack and put his left foot inside, one arm gripping the tree’s rough bark, the other grabbing onto the closest branch. He moved around and managed to grip the branch with both hands. Holding on tightly, he prepared to pull himself up. Taking a deep breath, he winced as the salty air stung his sore throat. 

“Ramen is the best food in the world! It’s good for you and tastes amazing! Have you never eaten it before?” Naruto shouted out. How could the bastard not know how awesome ramen is? _Poor teme. He is missing out on something fantastic. All of the flavors are delicious and it is cheap, too_. Looking around, Naruto came out of his daydream of noodles and realized Sasuke had disappeared. The ground beneath him shows foot prints leading away from away from him. “Oi teme! You better not have ditched me!” _Great! The bastard left me and I’m stuck! All I need now is……….fuck. I have to pee._

“Calm down, dobe. I’m trying to get you down. And yes, I’ve eaten ramen before. It’s not something I’d want to eat often, though.” Grunting, Sasuke pulled himself up and brought his legs to wrap around the branch. Shifting around, he managed to sit on it, and then carefully stand up. He stepped up to another branch, slowly making his way to the front of the tree where Naruto was. Crawling onto Naruto’s branch, he pulled out the knife out of his pocket. The orange canopy of the parachute was tangled in the branches above Naruto, the strings extending down and holding the blond as their captive. As Sasuke sawed away the first stings, Naruto was jolted as the strings loosened around him. Suddenly, his leg was free, both now swinging lightly. Then his arms were freed. Only his torso was left tied up. 

“Something is wrong with you then.” Naruto looked up at Sasuke, watching him slice away, determination in his face. Scratching his head, he smiled sheepishly. “Can you hurry up? I have to pee.” Sasuke stopped cutting and looked down at Naruto, his face emotionless. “Of course you do”. Sasuke then went back to severing the threads, this time much quicker. 

When he was down to the last couple of cords, Sasuke stopped again. “Dobe, I’m about to cut the last ones. I’m going to grab your hand and try to pull you up, but you have to use the others I cut to hoist yourself up. Screw this up and you’re dead.” Sasuke reached down and grabbed Naruto’s hand around the wrist, his pale hand contrasting against Naruto’s tan one. “You ready?” 

Swallowing, Naruto quickly grasped the cut cords with his free hand and nodded. “On the count of three. One…two….Three! Sasuke grunted as he pulled Naruto up. _Jesus, how much does this dobe weigh? Is he even trying to help pull himself up?_

Naruto yanked himself up on the cords, His feet coming closer to the branch. After much twisting and tugging, he was finally free. Sitting on the branch, both of them were breathing a bit heavier. 

“Now that that’s over with, we should explore a bit, see what we can find and use.” Sasuke stood up and made his way down the tree, his face in a grimace as he climbed down. 

Naruto curiously watched him leave. _What’s wrong with him? Did he get hurt…..Oh yeah. I should probably thank him._ Licking his lips, he called out to Sasuke. “Teme!” 

Sasuke glanced up at him. “What?” 

“Umm, how’re your legs? I mean, are you okay? “Naruto climbed off the tree and made his way over to Sasuke. 

“It’s nothing. The cuts were shallow, so it’s not bad. Just don’t get in the way from now on. It’s a nuisance.” Turning around, he headed towards the shore. 

“What the hell bastard!! I was just gonna thank you, but fuck that! How was I being a nuisance? You’re the one that threw yourself on me! 

“I meant about getting stuck in the tree moron. Maybe it was a complete waste of time getting you down.” Sasuke retorted, never turning around. 

Naruto growled and tackled the bastard, not caring that he was wounded. He slammed into Sasuke’s midriff and knocked them both down, kicking up sand. He wrestled around and sat on Sasuke’s stomach, somehow managing to pin Sasuke’s arms to the ground. “I’m not a nuisance! You are!” Blushing, he noticed how sexy Sasuke looked with his hair strewn around his head and his dark eyes flashing with some emotion. 

Sasuke had been taken by surprise, finding himself tackled then sat on. Excitement flooded his system, the discomfort of his legs soon forgotten. Bolts of lust ran straight to his groin as Naruto kept moving on top of him. Eyes narrowing, he bucked up with his hips and rolled the unstable Naruto underneath him, trapping Naruto’s legs between his. Sasuke then took both of Naruto’s hands and pinned them above Naruto’s head. Looking Naruto straight in the eyes, Sasuke found himself getting lost in the deep blue depths. Eyes traveling down, Sasuke watched as Naruto unconsciously licked his lips, mesmerized by the movement. Reigning himself in, he cocked his head. “If you don’t want to be a nuisance, then stay out of my way. Or better yet, actually be useful. Now, dobe, what’s it going to be?” Smirking, Sasuke stared down at the feisty blonde, waiting for the explosion that was soon to come. 

Surprisingly, Naruto was silent, his gaze turning to look out to the ocean. Shifting his gaze back to Sasuke, he pressed his lips in a thin line. “I’m not a nuisance. Now get off, I still have to pee” He said firmly. 

“……Hn. We’ll see.” Getting up, Sasuke subtly adjusted his increasingly tightening pants and waited as Naruto got up and ran to a bush to pee. He enjoyed having Naruto on beneath him. In fact, he enjoyed it a little too much. Frowning, Sasuke glanced over at sunshine. _What’s with dobe getting all quiet about getting called a bother? Whatever, it’s not like I care anyway. It’s not my problem._ Squirming in his pants, he began to walk away, annoyed that the blond could make him hot and bothered. _Even if I did end up wanting to fuck him, he probably wouldn’t want me to. By the way he kept looking at the retarded pink haired stewardess, he’s probably straight._

Naruto ran to the bush and relieved himself. After he finished, he put his semi hard cock back inside his pants and leaned against a tree. Sasuke had had him pinned down and Naruto had liked it. _What the hell body? Despite the bastard being…..well a bastard, Naruto couldn’t help but feel attracted to him. Too bad I don’t like him and he sure as hell doesn’t like me. I wonder why he risked himself to protect me then. Whatever, this shit doesn’t make sense. The bastard is probably straight anyway. That stewardess was always around him for a reason._ Shaking his head, Naruto jogged over to Sasuke as he quietly said: 

“Alright let’s go” 

**~After walking for two hours~**

“Sweet Jesus, it is too hot out here!” 

Naruto complained for them millionth time. He was lagging a few feet behind Sasuke, his head hanging down with his hair plastered to his forehead. They had been walking along the shore, the blistering sand and scorching sun making them hot and cranky. They had tried wading in the water, but several angry crabs and pinched toes later, they decided it was a bad idea. Any deeper in the water and they soon discovered that it was full of razor sharp coral and rip tides. The small ocean breezes did little to help cool them down. 

“Hn”. Sasuke wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. He had taken off his suit jacket and was using it to block the sun. “We need to find water.” 

“Water? There’s water everywhere. What are you, blind?” Naruto griped, waving his arms around to emphasize the amount of water surrounding them. 

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke mentally sighed for the trillionth time. “Drinkable water, dobe. Drink ocean water and you’re as good as dead. We need to find a spring or a river of clean water. A person can’t survive longer than three to five days without water.” Licking his dry lips, Sasuke squinted around him. Stopping, he scowled at the trees. “We’ve been here before.” _Are we going around in circles? That’s means the island’s pretty small. We’ve found nothing of value either. I guess it’s time to search the central part of the island._

“Seriously? How do you know?” Naruto looked around. Hey that rock looks familiar….yup, and so does that seashell. Hmm that speck of sand, I’ve seen it already. It’s everywhere. “How he hell can you tell, if everything looks the fucking same?!” 

“Look at what’s hanging from the big tree over there, stupid. It’s the parachute you were wearing. That means we’ve done a full circle. Now we have to check out the interior of the island.” Sasuke peeled off his shirt and dunked it into the ocean water. Wrapping it around his head, he waded out of the water and headed towards the trees. 

Naruto had glimpsed over a Sasuke and found himself staring as Sasuke stripped. He was mesmerized by the smooth glide of his muscles, sinewy and lean. He noted with envy that the pale bastard had a nicely toned six pack for his abs and well defined biceps, accompanied by strong shoulders and had a wicked looking tattoo where his neck met his left shoulder. It appeared to be three dots with a curved tail pointing counterclockwise, surrounded by a pattern with six lines extending from it. Naruto found himself wanting to trace the tattoo with his tongue, to taste the saltiness of- _WOAH! No! Bad brain, bad! This is not the time for this! I don’t care how long it’s been since I’ve gotten laid, we are not thinking of this! Besides, my tattoo looks so much better._

Trying to take his mind off of Sasuke, he took his shirt off and dipped it in the water. Rinsing the shirt over his face, the water felt amazing and the cool droplets ran down to his stomach, cooling his hunger. Wrapping the soaking shirt around his head, he took off to catch up to Sasuke. 

Looking back to see if the dobe was coming, Sasuke noticed the blonde had taken off his shirt. He saw that Naruto had a build similar to his, but was shorter, slightly thinner, and way tanner. On his stomach around his belly button was a tattoo. It was a swirl with eight lines of what appeared to be Japanese text extending from it. A small trail of blonde hair led down underneath the tattoo, disappearing into his waistband. Biting his lip, Sasuke could picture that tattoo beneath him as he pumped- _No, not thinking that._ Clenching his fists, he pictured Itachi naked. His happy member quickly drooped down. 

The island’s main land had thick trees, intertwined with tall palm trees. Thick roots erupted from the ground and were tightly pressed against each other. Green vines looped around each tree, dangling from the tall branches and bending the trees down. The taller lush green trees served to create a huge umbrella way above them, blocking out most of the sunlight and giving the atmosphere a dark and dreamlike feel. Huge, spikey plants were scattered everywhere, the thick leaves making it hard to pass through. The rocky ground was littered with dead leaves, twigs and the occasional seashell. Small creatures flitted around them, not daring to get close, but simply curious of the strangers in their home. They passed by lime green bushes with odd-looking red and white berries, small plant stalks with three leaves, and trees with star fruit. Much of the foliage held an eclectic of fruits, most being mangoes, bananas, pineapples, pomegranates, and coconuts. Stepping over fallen trees and logs, they traveled in silence most of the time, listening to the quiet rustle of the trees waving in the breeze and calls of the native birds filling the air. Deeper into the dark green world, the temperature dropped, causing them to both put their shirts back on, much to the unconscious dismay of Sasuke who had enjoyed watching Naruto’s sun kissed skin among all the wilderness. 

Pushing through a gigantic plant with enormous leaves, they came to an opening. Trees had been knocked to the ground, uprooted and with dirt still clinging to the roots. The ground had been shoved up and raised, exposing layers of different soil. Sasuke broke through first, with Naruto following close by. 

Laying nestled in the disrupted soil was the plane. 

“Oh shit, it’s the plane!” 

Naruto shoved past Sasuke and wandered over to the plane crash. Stepping over twisted pieces of metal and charred seats, he cautiously approached the wreck. 

The cabin that they had been inside was miraculously still standing. It was tilting to the right. The entire front of the plane was gone, along with the bathroom in the back. Broken wires and cords were dangling from the gaping holes. The outside panels of the plane had been ripped off, thrown among the wreckage. The plane’s metal skeleton was exposed where the panels were missing. The plane windows had been cracked, but were otherwise intact. An engine lay a few feet away, the blades bent and broken. The planes only wing was bent at an awkward position, parallel to the ground with the end bending to an obtuse angle. 

Poking among the rubble, Naruto found his suitcase. Holding up the burnt luggage, he sadly realized that it was useless. “Well, there go my finest clothes.” Sighing, he let it fall. “It had my favorite orange shirt, too”. Dusting off his hands, he jumped into the cabin. The cabin groaned, faintly shifting to accommodate for the added weight. 

Sasuke kicked the debris around, looking for his suitcase. Hidden under several chunks of plane guts, he found it half buried in the dirt. It was a high class suitcase, looking more like a briefcase. It was silver with ridges along the sides. Besides being dented and slightly burnt, it looked okay. Blowing dirt off of it, he inserted the correct combination and opened it up. He was pleased to see that everything was in perfect condition. _See Itachi? A fire proof suitcase is not a waste of money. It can have its perks, like surviving bombs and a plane crash._ Closing it up, he held the handle and continued to shift through the remains. _I wonder what happened to the stewardess and pilot. The pilot probably died when the second bomb hit in the cockpit. The stewardess might have been in the cockpit with him after I scared her off. Oh well, life’s a bitch sometimes._

“Hey teme, what do you think happened to Sakura?” Naruto popped his head out from inside the cabin. 

Sasuke blinked at him. “Am I supposed to know who that is?” 

“How could you not?! She spent most of her time talking to you and ignoring me.” 

“Hn. She probably died along with the pilot during the second bomb.” 

Naruto winced. “That’s harsh.” 

Sasuke shrugged. “It’s not like I cared about her. She talked too much.” 

“That’s not a reason to be so crude about it.” 

“Whatever dobe, it’s not like it changes anything. Now come on, we have to keep going. We have to at least find a river or something.” 

Sasuke walked past the crash, suitcase in hand, disappearing into the bushes. Naruto jumped off the plane and went to follow him. Glancing behind him, he gave the wreckage one last look before turning around and vanishing too. 


	4. I don't like titles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the attention, guys! I'm happy to see that you're enjoying this :D

Iruka had been sitting with his arms crossed in the hard, plastic seat at the airport for hours. Lips pressed in a thin line and his eyes constantly searching the room, he impatiently tapped his fingers against his arm. _Naruto should have been here hours ago, where the hell is he?! I swear, if he is clowning around somewhere, he can forget about that pay raise!_ Irritably, he checked his watch again for the millionth time. It was around 2:15 a.m. Naruto’s plane was expected to have arrived around 11:45 p.m. Sighing, he pulled out his phone and called Naruto’s for the twentieth time in the past five minutes. Still no response. _When I find him, he’s going to wish he had never been born._

The raging storm outside filled the uncomfortably quiet atmosphere with the sound of rain droplets. Throughout the airport, music was being softly played; it was faintly heard over the pitter-patter of the rain.

He glared around the gate. Most of the seats were empty, except for a couple of people sitting scattered around. Sitting to his right a couple of seats down was a tall, attractive man with a black mask on and a scarred eye. The mask covered his mouth and part of his nose, leaving only his eyes exposed and the scar bisected his right eye. The man had silver hair that somehow stood up almost straight, slightly drooping on one side. Iruka had been peeping at him throughout the night as he waited. The man looked like a big deal. He had on an expensive looking pinstriped black suit with a purple tie and a silver suitcase sitting in the seat next to him. The silver-haired man had his right leg crossed over his left at the ankle and had an orange book in his hand as he leaned back into the seat. Iruka frowned at the man. _The nerve of that guy to be reading that in public. At least no kids are around to see that. What a pervert._ Shaking his head, Iruka looked away and stared at the terminal, waiting to see the mop of blond hair pop up. 

**xXx**

Kakashi once again checked his Rolex. Sasuke was late. Really late. It was highly unlike the youngest Uchiha to be late, or to keep anyone waiting. Glancing around the gate, he noticed that the brown haired man with the scar across his nose that sitting to his far left was peeking at him again. Grinning, he brought his book back to his face, watching as the brunette blushed, turned his nose up and looked away. Reading porn in public was not something that was appropriate, but at least it kept people from talking to him. Kakashi really enjoyed the privacy of his own company. He wouldn’t mind talking to the brunette though; the guy was kind of cute when he blushed, and knew how to dress. Scar-nose had on a light gray suit with a light green tie and a laptop next to him. Chuckling slightly, Kakashi noticed that the laptop had a small dolphin sticker on the corner. Too bad he was here on business and not a social call. 

Yawning, Kakashi put his book away and put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. _It’s been hours. This is beginning to bother me. Either something happened or Sasuke bailed on us. If he did bail on us, there will be severe consequences. Itachi’s consequences._ Eyebrows furrowing, Kakashi opened his eyes and pulled out his phone. He dialed Sasuke’s number and put the phone to his ear. “I’m not here right now, you know what to do.” Sasuke’s recorded voice floated into his ear, a message he heard for the thousandth time that hour. Hanging up, he snapped the phone shut and put it back in his pocket. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he took out a pack of cigarettes. Tapping one out, he patted his other pockets for a lighter. _Huh. I thought I had one on me. Shit._

“Here.” Looking to his side, he was surprised to see the brunette leaning over to him with a green lighter in his hand. “Use mine.” Taking the lighter, he nodded a thanks and lit up. He handed back the lighter, he offered the packet of cigarettes to Scar-nose. “Oh, no thanks, I don’t smoke”. Kakashi lifted his eyebrow.

“You don’t smoke, but you carry around a lighter?” Iruka shrugged. 

“It came in handy, didn’t it?” 

Nodding in acquiescence, Kakashi put the cigarette to his mouth. “True.”

Iruka took the lighter back and leaned back in his seat. He put it in his pocket and pursed his lips. Irritation was slowly turning to worry. _Maybe something happened and Naruto is hurt. Oh god, what if there were terrorists on it or something?! What if the plane was hit by the lightning? What if it was hijacked? Shit, I shouldn’t have let him get on, no matter how bad I needed him here. I wonder if he’s okay._ Rubbing his face, Iruka groaned and put his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. _Where the hell is he? This isn’t funny Naruto, you better not be fooling around somewhere!_ As angry as he could get at Naruto, he could never hate him. Naruto was the sun in his life. Iruka worked hard to get a good job to support himself and Naruto and to give Naruto a decent life, despite the manner in which he had come into Iruka’s life. 

“So, who are you waiting for? “

Startled out of his thoughts, Iruka looked up and saw that the silver-haired man was speaking to him. “I’m sorry?”

“Who are you waiting for? Must be someone important to be waiting this late.”

“Oh. I’m waiting for my son. He was supposed to be here a while ago.”

_So he’s married. Damn. Oh well._ “Oh, you’re married?” Kakashi nodded pointedly at Iruka’s left hand. It was bare of any rings.

Confused, Iruka followed Kakashi’s face to his left hand. Realization lit his face. “Oh, nonono. I’m not married. I’m his guardian. I’ve been looking after him since he was a little boy.”

_So he’s not married. Perfect. Wait, shit, have to keep watch for Sasuke….Fucking cockblock._ “What’s his name?”

Iruka smiled as he thought of his charge. “His name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto.” Iruka turned his body toward Kakashi. “So, who are you waiting for at this hour?”

“I’m waiting for my godchild, Sasuke. His plane was due a while ago and I’m still waiting for him. Little brat is probably wasting time somewhere, purposely leaving me to wait.” Kakashi rolled his eyes and discreetly checked his watch. 

Iruka grinned. “You’re in the same boat as me.” 

(Insert loud stomach growling noise)

Iruka’s eyes widened and he flushed. Biting his lip, he brought a hand to his stomach. His stomach had involuntarily let out a huge bear growl. _When was the last time I ate?/i >Oh this is just perfect. _

“Do you want to go get something to eat?” Kakashi had heard the hunger growl and had seen the brunette look for his wallet. A wallet that he didn’t seem to have. _How convenient, I am a bit hungry myself. Although I can’t do what I wish I could, at least this will help pass the time._ “The food court is over there. I’ll buy.” Kakashi indicated the area with a nod of his head. 

Iruka turned warily towards Kakashi. “Oh, I can’t. I don’t have any money with me right now and won’t be able to repay you.” As hungry as he was, Iruka didn’t like owing other people things. Especially porn reading in public people. 

“Maa, it will be my treat. And it will help time fly as we wait for the kids.” Kakashi winked, putting on his best persuasive voice; the smooth sound like a caress to Iruka’s ears.

(Insert bear wrestling noises.)

Embarrassed, Iruka rubbed the scar along his nose. “……Well if you insist, then I accept your invitation.” Iruka’s hunger pangs had forced him to capitulate. Blushing faintly, he picked up his laptop and began to walk toward the food court. Kakashi smiled cockily and stood up. Grabbing his suitcase, he followed Iruka. “Excellent. Let’s go.”

**xXx**

Iruka had ordered a 12” chicken sub with large curly fries and a medium drink. Digging in, he realized that the silver haired man sitting across from him had only bought a slice of pizza. Swallowing, he lifted the cup of fries and offered them to him. “Do you want a French fry?” Kakashi smirked and took a few. Closely watching him, Iruka noticed that he yet to remove his mask to eat. Kakashi simply held on to the fries, bringing them closer to his face. Nose twitching, Iruka felt a sneeze coming. Turning to the side, he closed his eyes and sneezed. Glancing back at Kakashi, he was stunned to see that the entire slice of pizza and more of his fries were gone. 

“Where did your pizza go? You could not have eaten it that fast.”

“Maa, I tend to eat pretty fast.”

“You do know that it is possible to choke to death from eating too fast right? It’s dangerous.”

Kakashi shrugged. “It’s a habit. By the way, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Hatake Kakashi. And you are?” 

Iruka sipped his coke and wiped his mouth on a napkin. “Oh, how rude of me. I’m Umino Iruka.” Iruka extended his hand and shook Kakashi’s hand; his tan hand contrasting with Kakashi’s pale one. Looking at Kakashi fully face to face, Iruka noticed that his scarred eye was oddly colored. They entire eye appeared untouched, but the iris was a blood red color. Instead of looking ugly, the scarred eye served to add an seductive air of mystery to Kakashi. The mismatched pair of eyes were staring directly into his, making him a bit nervous under their scrutiny.

“So how-” Ring! Ring! Kakashi frowned. Taking out his phone, he looked at the caller I.D. Guy. I wonder what he wants now. Smiling apologetically to Iruka, he pushed his chair back and stood. “I’m sorry, I have to take this, it’s important.” Walking away, he stopped in front of a huge window, the moon invisible in the rainy sky. Putting the phone to his ear, he leaned back on one foot. “Yes, what is it?”

_“Scarecrow, plane 7 is missing.”_ Kakashi froze. Eyes narrowing, he stood up straighter. “What do you mean plane seven is missing?” He asked coldly. _If Guy is pulling another joke on me, he’s dead._

_“I mean what I said. The signal from the tracker we had installed on the plane isn’t responding. The signal was lost a couple of hours ago and the back up one is not reacting. And before you ask, that’s all we know. Deer is working on it as we speak.”_ Guy’s normally cheerful voice was now somber and full of tension.

“And exactly why am I just now being told about it?” Kakashi angrily retorted. Pacing, he rubbed his face, the mask feeling a bit uncomfortable with the light stubble he had from not shaving that day. _This is bad. How could the tracker just stop responding? It is supposed to be the best one money could buy, absolutely indestructible. It can only be stopped by either deactivating it, or ……Oh fuck._ Ceasing his pacing, he scowled at his watch. “We will continue this conversation at the office. Call in the members and tell them to meet in no less than ten minutes. Make sure to call Itachi first. Since we don’t know if Sasuke is dead or alive, he is going to be dangerous. And keep this away from the media, do not let anyone know plane seven is missing. If word gets out, shit is going to hit the fan.” *click*

Nearly crushing the phone in his hand, Kakashi angrily swore. _I’ve got to leave immediately. Time to say good bye to Iruka._ Turning away from the window, he was startled to see Iruka standing a few feet away from him looking deathly pale.

“Iruka, what are you-“

“Did you just say plane seven is missing?” He asked numbly, his chocolate brown eyes wide and confused. His voice was barely audible.

Watching Iruka suspiciously, Kakashi nodded. Iruka seemed to get even paler, his scar becoming more and more defined.

Raising his hands to his mouth, Iruka took a step back, his coat and lap top falling to the floor. “Oh no. Oh god no.” Looking at straight into Kakashi’s eyes, he spoke desolately. “Naruto was on plane seven.”

**xXx Earlier xXx**

As Kakashi walked away to answer his phone, Iruka munched on his food. He vaguely wondered what the phone call was about, it seemed really important. Feeling slightly warm, he removed his jacket and drank the rest of his coke. Looking down at his watch, he realized around twenty minutes had passed since they left for the food court. _I should probably get back to the terminal and wait. Hopefully, he might be there waiting for me or is just arriving. I should probably also thank Kakashi for the food. It was extremely nice of him to buy a complete stranger food._ Standing up, he threw the paper his sub had been wrapped in and the rest of his trash into the garbage, along with what Kakashi had left. Eyeing the food court, he spotted Kakashi near one of the windows that gave a view of the planes coming and going. The thunderstorm was preventing them from being viewed, another reminder that it had been a bad idea to let Naruto board the plane.

Grabbing his coat and laptop, he walked over to Kakashi, who was still on the phone. Putting a smile on his face, he stopped a few feet away from him to say thanks and to bid him farewell. Opening his mouth, he stopped when he heard Kakashi speak.

“-media, do not let anyone know plane seven is missing. If word gets out, shit is going to hit the fan.

Heart stopping, the smile slid off Iruka’s face. Swallowing dryly, he remembered that Naruto was supposed to be on plane seven. Hands trembling, he distantly heard Kakashi end his conversation. Kakashi then turned to him, surprised to see him there.

**xXx Present xXx**

Shocked, Kakashi opened and closed his mouth. He didn’t remember Sasuke mentioning another passenger. He realized that that meant Iruka’s ‘son’ was missing along with Sasuke. _Shit. This just got even more complicated. What does Naruto have to do with this? Is he somehow related?_ Stealing a look at the time, he sincerely apologized to Iruka. He needed to go right now.

“Iruka I’m sorry, but I have to go.” Turning away from the unhealthily pale man, Kakashi picked up his briefcase and went to leave. A hand shot out and grabbed on to his arm. Following the arm, he looked up into Iruka’s face. The corners of his eyes gleamed with tears he refused to let fall.

“Please, tell me what happened. 

“Iruka please, I really need to-“

“I’m begging you, _please_ , tell me what happened. I need to know.” The grip on his arm tightened inconspicuously. Kakashi looked guiltily into Iruka’s eyes. The chocolate brown in his gaze was heartbreakingly sad, making Kakashi’s previous anger melt away. _Shit. I was always a sucker for puppy eyes._

“Alright.” Kakashi decided it would be better to tell the man. “But I don’t have time to waste. Come with me.” He bent down and retrieved Iruka’s fallen items. Pushing them into his hands, Kakashi then took Iruka’s hand in his and pulled him towards the exit to the parking deck. The automatic doors slid open to grant them access. The parking deck was a bit further away from the airport, making them have to walk in the rain.

“Wait, what? Where are we going? Are you going to tell me or not?” Iruka’s mind was in a huge jumbled mess. Naruto had been on that plane that Kakashi somehow knew about and somehow knew it went missing. The fact that Kakashi was withholding vital information from him was serving only to make him even more confused.

Walking out into the rain, Kakashi turned to him. “I’m taking you to some people that may know more than me about what happened to Sasuke and Naruto. The thing is that they do not have patience, especially one person.” The rain soaked into his clothes, making his suit cling on to the ridges of his lean muscles and making Iruka’s suit a dark gray color. 

“Sasuke? You mean he was on the same plane as Naruto?” Iruka’s eyes widened. “So both of them are missing?”

“Apparently. I’ll tell you what I know on the way there.” Stopping next to a black, sleek car, Kakashi pulled his keys out of his pockets and unlocked the car. Throwing his and Iruka’s stuff in the back, he opened the door for Iruka, lightly pushed him in and slammed it shut. Walking quickly over to the driver’s door, he hastily got in and shoved the keys into the ignition. Reversing out of the parking space, he revved out of the deck; the tires squeaked on the slippery, wet floor. Turning on the warm air, he drove fast. The roads were empty. As they drove, the street lights lit up the car with orange light periodically, leaving their faces shrouded in shadow for most of the ride. 

After around four minutes, Kakashi made a couple of turns and drove into the parking lot a huge, glossy building. The word ‘UCHIHA’ was shown in thin giant letters at the top of the building with the Uchiha symbol next to it. It was a deep, menacing black color, seeming to loom over the other buildings. Several other were already parked. Instead of the black ones Iruka was expecting, the cars were all different colors. One was a dark cerulean blue; one was a lime green; another was a shiny deep orange. The most important looking one was a blood red Hyundai Genesis Coupe. It was parked in the spot closest to the door.

Turning the car off, Kakashi turned to Iruka. “Here we go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta say, doing my own HTML tags is annoying. Haven't done them manually since senior year in my high school, when we were forced to create our own webpages. Ick.


	5. Poison Ivy

“Oi, teme, do you hear that?” Naruto had stopped walking. Turning in a circle slowly, he listened carefully. Behind the sounds of the bird calls and the rustling of the trees, he heard a slight roaring noise. Taking a couple steps ahead, he searched the surrounding forest for the source. The sound had been bothering him for a while. 

“Hear what?” Sasuke asked curiously. He walked up next to Naruto and imitated him. Eyes narrowing in concentration, he tried to hear past all the forest noises. Faintly, he heard a roaring sound. Eyes widening, he realized he was listening to running water. _If that water turns out to be drinkable water, we just may be able to survive for longer than I expected!_ Licking his lips, he put on a smirk. 

“Dobe, that’s the sound of water.” 

“Really?” Naruto perked up, his head swiveling around to find the water. “Where is it?”

“Hell if I know. Come on, let’s find it.” Gripping his suitcase tighter, Sasuke picked up his pace and walked quickly deeper into the forest. 

“I’ll go this way, that way we can cover more space, but still be able to communicate.” Naruto took off in in a different path from Sasuke. Nodding, Sasuke began to jog slightly, the trees rushing past him as he pursued the sound of water. Pushing branches and leaves out of his face, he leapt over tree stumps and nearly slipped on wet leaves. The sound grew in intensity, the air slowly beginning to feel more humid. Ignoring the twinge of pain in his legs, he kept going. Shoving giant leafy plants out of his way, he came to a large clearing. A large pool of water was right at his feet. Nearly falling in, he quickly regained his balance and stood still.

The pool was in a sort of a circle shape, with large rocks rising out of the water near the back. Above the pool of water, there was a beautiful waterfall falling into it. The cliff from where the water came was several stories high. The water fell from one tier to the next, cascading majestically down. It created a slight mist in the air, along with a mini rainbow from where sunlight touched it. The water crashed into the pool below and created small waves that slowly rippled out to the rest of the pool. The water was crystal clear. The rocks below were clearly visible and had different colored stones. Orange and black koi fish were seen darting to and fro, never sitting still and some even swimming in a circle, imitating a ying yang symbol. Small plants were gently swaying with the ripples and branches littered the bottom of the pool. It lacked the green tinge that lakes tend to have and was clear of any algae. It appeared to be completely untouched by man in any way. 

Sasuke was silent, slowly taking in the absolute beauty of the serene scene before him. His eyes leisurely looked around, appreciating the natural wonder. He then noticed that Naruto was nowhere to be found. Frowning at the absence of the dobe, he opened his mouth to call him.

“Naruto! 

Naruto had been almost running around in circles trying to find the water. Hearing Sasuke shout out to him, he instantly took off in the direction the voice was coming from. Thinking Sasuke was in trouble, he sprinted through the trees. Breathing hard, his heart was pounding in his chest, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

Sasuke had set down his suitcase and had bent over slightly to gaze into the pool of water. Hearing a crashing noise behind him, he turned around just in time to see Naruto barreling towards him. “Woah, stop! Dobe, stop!”

Naruto ran as fast as he could, the random leaves and trees branches smacking him in the face. Uncaring, he shot forward, bursting through into the clearing. Not seeing Sasuke, he plowed straight into him, knocking them both into the water. “Oh shit!”

Seconds later, Sasuke’s head popped out of the shallow water. Coughing, he wiped water out of his face and eyes. He was on his butt, his feet planted on the ground and his arms holding his upper body out of the water. Naruto had somehow managed to land on top of him. Naruto was in between Sasuke’s legs, his arms close to Sasuke’s and his hips right above Sasuke’s hips. Soaked with water, Naruto began to laugh. Sasuke’s hair was plastered to his face and had a lily pad on his head. 

The sight of the elegantly dressed Sasuke drenched with a plant on his head was hilarious. Expecting to see Sasuke in danger or something, Naruto was relieved to see him unharmed. Naruto started to laugh harder, his whole body shaking. Sasuke was at first irate, but the sight of Naruto laughing had him smiling. Fascinated, he watched as Naruto’s sapphire eyes sparkled with merriment, and his face flushed red. Laughing too, he shook off the lily pad and leaned up, pushed himself out of the water and closer to Naruto.

Naruto had felt Sasuke move and he looked up, slightly startled to see Sasuke’s face so close to his, their faces inches apart. The laughter fading, he was breathless as he gazed into Sasuke’s obsidian eyes. Sasuke was staring directly into his eyes, dark emotions swirling in their depths. He had a slight pink tinge to his face from laughing and had a blade of grass stuck to his cheek. 

Naruto suddenly found himself acutely aware of how warm Sasuke’s body was pressed against his. The cool water surrounding them helped to drive that into his mind. The water had soaked into Sasuke’s white shirt, making it see through and cling to his skin, outlining his lean stomach and well defined abs. The memory of the tattoo from before ignited a flame of lust in Naruto, the heat going straight to his cock. Lips parting slightly, he stared at Sasuke’s lips, imagining them brushing against his own. Heavy lidded, his gaze went back to Sasuke’s eyes, surprised at the amount of pure lust swirling in them. His face burning hot, he slowly leaned forward, his blue eyes darkening with want.

Sasuke watched as Naruto slowly undressed him with his eyes. Gazing at Naruto’s parted lips, he ached to delve into the cavern hidden behind those plump lips and explore it with his tongue. Feeling Naruto’s body flush against his, he swallowed heavily, the position making his cock hard. He then noticed that Naruto had several scratches on his cheeks. On each cheek, he had three scratches, each bleeding slightly. Frowning, he lifted his hand and gently cupped Naruto’s right cheek. He softly brushed the scratches with the pad of his thumb, wiping away the small drops of blood that leaked out. Naruto’s face was comfortably warm, fitting perfectly in the curve of his hand. 

Naruto had leaned into Sasuke’s hand, enjoying the feel of it on his face despite the slight sting from the cuts. Sasuke’s thumb drifted further down, now brushing his parted lips, rubbing gently against them. Naruto’s tongue darted out and licked the finger, tasting the saltiness of Sasuke’s skin and the sweetness of the water. 

Sasuke had been desperately holding himself in reign, using all of his willpower not to push Naruto over and fuck him into the ground. Feeling Naruto’s warm tongue against his finger, his willpower began to crack. It further snapped when Naruto leaned in closer, his stomach rubbing over Sasuke’s now harder member. He then seized Naruto’s face in both hands and, to Naruto’s delight, brought their lips crashing together, moving in unison. 

Naruto scooted closer, his heart racing and his skin suddenly feeling hypersensitive. Lifting his hands, he wound them in Sasuke’s midnight hair, pulling on the strands slightly. Sasuke’s hands drifted down and he placed them on Naruto’s hips, pulling him closer. 

Sasuke’s tongue licked along the seam of Naruto’s lips, silently asking permission to enter. Naruto eagerly opened up, his tongue immediately meeting Sasuke’s half way. Battling for dominance, Sasuke took the lead and invaded Naruto’s mouth, exploring and memorizing ever bit of the wet cavern. Tasting a sweet strawberry like flavor, Sasuke strove to taste more, instantly addicted to it. Sasuke sucked on Naruto’s bottom lip, drawing it into his mouth and gently nibbling on it. Once again, he went back to ravishing Naruto’s mouth, his tongue rubbing against Naruto’s. Naruto let out small moans, enticing Sasuke to keep going and cause more of them. Naruto pushed himself even closer, shifting around and then straddling Sasuke, wrapping his arms around his neck. 

Naruto pulled free, gasping for breath. Staring hard into Sasuke’s eyes, he bit his abused bottom lip, his tongue coming out to trace the small dents left by Sasuke’s teeth. He attacked Sasuke’s neck, nibbling along the bottom of his ear, his mouth brushing against the muscles leading to his shoulder. He unbuttoned Sasuke’s shirt, revealing his chest. He sucked hard, leaving a path of red marks on the pale skin, staking claim upon the bastard.

Sasuke began to slowly grind into Naruto, their clothed members rubbing together with a delicious friction. Naruto immediately began to help, rolling his hips and pressing down hard. Whimpering slightly, he leaned more into Sasuke and threw his head back and arched as Sasuke’s hot mouth attached itself to the column of his neck and nibbled on the tan skin. The water started to ripple roughly as they gradually began to rock. 

A huge splash separated them. Naruto had put most of his weight on Sasuke, leaving Sasuke to fully support both of them. The painfully pleasant contact of their clad cocks had Sasuke’s strained back muscles trembling and eventually giving out. He fell back into the water, taking Naruto with him. The cool water that suddenly rushed over them had them coughing for air and drawing apart. 

Breathing hard, Naruto realized what had almost happened, what he _wanted_ to happen. _Fuck, that bastard has a talented mouth._ He could still taste Sasuke in his mouth. The teme had a sort of cinnamon flavor. It was nearly as delicious as ramen was. Attempting to calm his pounding heart, he stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. The atmosphere had turned awkward and Naruto had some business to take care of now, thanks to the bastard.

“…Umm, I’m going to the bathroom…Yea..” Averting his eyes, Naruto looked away. Licking his lips, he waded out of the water, his discomfort clearly discernible by the tent in his pants, and disappeared into the bushes near the water’s edge. 

Trying to catch his breath, Sasuke watched the dobe leave, his dark eyes following him as he vanished into the green scenery. His cock throbbed with the lack of attention, yearning to go back to the rocking. Sitting up, he unbuckled his pants. Hissing quietly , he slid his hand into his boxers and gripped his slick member. Pre-cum was already leaking out, the fluid lubing his hand up as he glided it up and down his length. Closing his eyes, he pictured the dobe on his knees, taking in all of Sasuke in his mouth and his tongue sliding up and down his cock. Groaning slightly, he picked up the pace and pumped harder, his hips thrusting along. The muscles in his stomach tightened. A hot sensation welled up inside him, concentrated mostly around his cock. Grunting, he came hard; the cum bursting out. Continuing to pump, he rode the orgasm out, more cum spurting out as he thought of Naruto’s hot mouth on his dick. 

A feeling of relaxation took over him. Waves of pleasure enveloped his body as he drifted down. Sighing, he shook his hand clean in the water and proceeded to take off his clothes, leaving only his black boxers on. _That was….something. Looks like the dobe feels the same way about me, that I feel about him._ Grinning wolfishly, Sasuke’s mind whirred with possibilities. Being stranded on an island didn’t really worry him. It was a refreshing break from the mundane, repetitive cycle that his life was usually in. He had been trained in basic survival skills one summer of high school and knew what to do to survive. Granted, he really only knew what to do if lost in a forest, but an island couldn’t be that much different. And now that he discovered that Naruto wanted him, he had some pleasing entertainment. Scowling he remembered that Naruto had left him pretty fast, and appeared to regret it. _It might have been a spur of the moment kind of thing, and I guess he feels embarrassed? Or maybe he didn’t want it and I somehow forced him?_ Rubbing his face, he shook his head. “If he doesn’t say anything, I won’t.” Slightly peeved, he hung his clothes on a branch that was close by and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get the water out of it and style it back into his usual duckbutt way.

Naruto was grunting as he jerked off. The feeling of Sasuke’s sizzling tongue tasting his skin was by far the most erotic thing he had ever felt. He wanted that amazing cinnamon taste back, invading all of his senses. Face contorting in pleasure, he moaned as he pictured Sasuke using that talented mouth for something else. “Nnngh-ah”. Cumming in his hand, he took deep breaths and struggled to stand up straight. His heart racing, he walked shakily on trembling feet and wiped his hand off on a tree. Looking down at the ground, he pursed his lips. _The bastard probably thinks I’m easy now. I’m the one that started it and helped keep it going. I just met the guy yesterday and now we’re making out. He probably thinks I’m a man-whore or something._

Naruto pulled his pants up with a frown, the wet material dragging against his skin. _Great, now all my clothes are wet. The others were incinerated and now these are soaked. Fantastic._ Head cocked to the side, he thought of something. “I guess if the bastard doesn’t bring it up, I won’t. Nodding, he walked off, searching for somewhere private to use the bathroom. He needed to poop.

**xXx**

Walking past the glass doors and into the dark building, Iruka immediately noticed that the floor was a beautiful deep, dark, blue color. It seemed to be granite and was very glossy. The lobby had a huge mahogany desk that was empty. It was up against the back of the room, with flower vases next to it. The flowers were a mix of roses with Poppies, Peonies, and several others. The ceilings had an odd pattern. It appeared to be circles with three small dots with tails swirling on the circle edges. I added the feeling that the circles were like eyes that could see everything. Little lamps mounted on the walls helped illuminate the room, the soft light bringing a welcoming feeling despite the heavy atmosphere. Next to the lamps, pictures with Japanese text were hung. The pictures were of stern looking men, each one showing the same face structure and cool look. At the beginning of the pictures, the first was of a dangerous looking man with a lion’s mane of black hair that covered one eye. The plaque underneath read ‘Uchiha Madara’. The last one depicted a young man with sinister gaze, accompanied with furrows on his face on each side of his nose and a ponytail, his deadpan face seeming to stare at Iruka. Iruka shifted his gaze to the other walls. An elevator was on the wall diagonal to the desk. 

Kakashi guided the brunette in, heading straight for the elevator. Once inside, he hastily straightened up, fixing his drooping hair and making sure nothing was out of place. Turning to Iruka, he cocked his head to the side.

“May I?” Kakashi had is hands extended out, reaching towards Iruka. Iruka looked at him curiously. Tilting his head, he nodded slightly, wondering what Kakashi was going to do. 

Upon approval, Kakashi began to tug on Iruka’s hair, pulling it out of the dying ponytail it had been in. Running his fingers through the soft brown locks, he gently pulled out the tangles and put it in another pony tail. Picking up Iruka’s jacket and holding it out for him to put on, he explained what he was doing.

“My boss is a bit of a perfectionist. He’s a complete asshole half the time and is riled easily. He calls anybody out on anything and he is really anal about clothes. It’s easier to do what he says, rather than argue. He can’t physically harm you, but he has these eyes that would make you seem like you’re in another dimension and it fucks you up mentally.” Cheerfully, he grinned. “He can’t touch me though, and he won’t do anything to you as long as I’m there.”

Iruka looked faintly at him. _Is he being serious? This guy sounds like he’s a demon or something._ Nervously rubbing his scar, Iruka looked up at the floor counter and watched as the numbers seemed to fly by. _Naruto, you better be okay._

“We’ll be going into the meeting room where several others will already be there. They are here specifically because this may or may not be a hit to the company through Itachi’s brother.”

“Wait, who is Itachi’s brother?” Iruka was getting confused. 

“That’s Sasuke, my godchild.”

“So you guys think that some other company had the plane taken hostage or something just to take out the competition? Then what does Naruto have to do with this?”

“We don’t _specifically_ know what happened or why. It’s just a guess, and Naruto may just have been on the wrong plane at the wrong time.”

The floor counter stopped at the eighty-seventh floor. The small ding rang out and the doors jerkily slid open. The hallway before them was black, with glass doors on each side of the walls. Each wall had three doors with letters announcing whose office it was in bold. At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors where the words ‘MEETING ROOM 1’ were shown in gold letters on a plaque. Kakashi strode forward, keeping Iruka close by. Iruka gazed around the hallway in amazement. His office building looked nothing like this. This simply oozed raw power and money. 

Thrusting open the doors, Kakashi stepped into the room and moved to the side to let Iruka in. Inside the room, there was a huge rectangular table in the middle. Simple black chairs were surrounding it with people sitting in them. Every head turned to stare as Kakashi came in. Their gaze followed them as Kakashi and Iruka walked to the back of the room, towards the middle or the table. 

“Oh good, everyone is here.” Kakashi slowly surveyed the room. “Is he coming soon?”

“He should be here shortly. Then we can fully discuss what happened and why.” A woman with short dark hair in buns answered him.

Iruka felt completely out of his league. These were the type of people that ate others alive and chewed on their bones. They would see a target and go for the kill, striking fast and hard with deadly accuracy and vicious claws. Regardless of how non-scary the people looked, their lethalness was there. Sensing the heavy atmosphere, he kept quiet, knowing he was an outsider to the others. 

“Hey, Kakashi?” Kakashi had been exchanging looks with the other people, his mismatched gaze boring holes into those who kept staring.

“Hmm?” 

“Where are we and who are they?” 

“Well, you see that guy over there, the one with the black hair?” Kakashi nodded over to a tall, muscular man with a black bowl haircut and a green suit suiting diagonal from them. The man had the biggest set of eyebrows Iruka had ever seen. _Are….are there caterpillars on that man’s face? Oh god, I think they might be moving.. And his clothes…..his suit is just… so green._

The man looked over at them and grinned. He held up his hand, giving them a thumbs up. Iruka swore a small shine appeared at the corner of his grin. “That man is Gai. And, do you see that man over there, the eating chips? This time Kakashi nodded over to a slightly chubby guy with odd swirl tattoos on his face. The man had a bag of chips and long spikey brown hair. “That guy is Choji. He’s a nice guy, if you don’t piss him off. The woman sitting next to him is Ino. They work together really well.” 

The guy sitting near the front of the table with a spikey ponytail turned to Iruka and tilted his head, sending a questioning look to Kakashi. Kakashi nodded his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. The man simply rubbed his chin thoughtfully and shrugged before appearing to go to sleep. Iruka missed the entire exchange; he was busy staring at Gai, who was doing one-handed push-ups on the floor.

Despite the carefree appearance they gave off, Iruka could still sense the tenseness they had. The quiet conversations amongst them had a secretive feel, adding to Iruka’s discomfort. Putting on a stoic face, Iruka knew he had to be here to know what happened to Naruto. Dealing with the asshole people would be worth it. Gai seemed friendlier than the others to him. Instead of simply observing him, Gai attempting to make conversation but was silenced by Kakashi. 

“The woman that spoke to me earlier is Ten Ten. The guy with ponytail is Shikamaru. He’s a genius. Most of these guys are not here half the time though, so don’t worry if you forget their names. The long haired guy over there is Neji. ”

“The one with the really pale eyes that looks pissed?

“Yea that’s him. And then the-”

The whole roomed seemed to instantly get quiet when the ding of the elevator was heard, and the taps of footprints were outside the room doors. Everyone rushed to sit down. Choji shoved his empty chip bag in the trash and quickly got rid of the crumbs. Shikamaru picked his head up off the table and sat up. Kakashi lit up another cigarette, borrowing Iruka’s lighter again. The doors were almost thrown open as a man with a long black ponytail strode in powerfully. He had on a black suit, a black shirt, and blood red tie. His shoes made a quiet, hypnotizing tap on the floor as he walked. His dark eyes took in the room of people, staring at each one and holding slightly when they met Iruka’s chocolate ones. 

Iruka had never seen a man that looked as evil and as lethal as the guy that just came in. The man appeared every bit the demon Kakashi said he was. The man had furrows on the sides of his nose and had eyes as black as a black hole. The moment he entered the room, a chill fell into the air. A dangerous, deadly aura seemed to exude from him as he took his seat at the front of the table. His face showed no emotion, but the hostility underneath was palpable. 

He walked up to the table and planted his hands on it; a ring glittering in the light. Tilting his head up slightly, his eyes seemed to almost glow a red, swirling color. Opening his mouth, he addressed the entire room.

“Would anyone care to explain why I’m here?” Itachi asked coolly.


	6. Fishing For Glory

Naruto wandered back in the direction of the waterfall after using the bathroom. His wet clothes were chaffing against his skin and were irritating him as he pushed by thick foliage of the tropical jungle. Pausing to adjust his heavy jeans, he wrung out the bottom of his shirt, and raked his fingers through his hair. Looking around, he realized he didn’t remember which way he had come from. _I think it was this way…..no, over here looks familiar. Aw, shit. I’m lost._

“Hmm. I bet if I climb one of the trees I’ll be able to see!” 

Naruto made his way over to a tree and sized it up. _It looks tall enough and I think I can climb it. Yea, I think I can._ Pulling up his pants, he grabbed on to the closest branch and heaved himself up. After moving around a bit, he managed to stand on it and make his way to the other branches.

“This would be so much easier if I could just walk up the trees.” He grumbled. The bark from the tree was digging into his hands and left imprints in his skin. Finally near the top, he stopped. Anymore and the branches would be too thin to hold his weight. Peering over the tops of the other trees, he saw the rock formation where the waterfall was. The waterfall where he and Sasuke were about to-

“God, not this again!” 

A heat was beginning to stir low in his stomach at the delicious memory. Gritting his teeth, he carefully got down and ignored his want of Sasuke. He made a beeline back to the waterfall, his shoes creating a sloshing noise on the island floor. _I wonder if Sasuke is going to say anything. Not that I want him too. He just has a pretty face, nothing special. I probably was just reacting from all this shit that has happened._

Rubbing his nose, he sneezed. Striking a pose with his hands fisted at his hips, he grinned. “Someone must be talking about the great Uzumaki Naruto!” A couple of birds flew away; they were startled by his sudden outburst. Shrugging his shoulders, he passed by the thick green bushes that surrounded the waterfall and came to a perfect view of a pale Sasuke standing there in nothing but his black boxers with little fans on them. Blushing, Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him.

“Teme, why aren’t you wearing clothes?!” Sasuke merely glanced over at him. 

“Why would I? My clothes are soaked thanks to somebody.” Sasuke glared at Naruto. “They would only weigh me down and chafe if I wore them. It’s better to let them dry out.” He nodded over to where he had hung his clothes. “You should probably do the same.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Naruto couldn’t argue. His clothes had been absolutely annoying him. Shuffling over to a tree opposite of Sasuke’s, he shimmied out of his jeans and placed them on a high branch. Peeling off his shirt, he peeked over at Sasuke and saw that the bastard had paused whatever he was doing and was watching him with smoky black eyes. Shivering slightly, Naruto coughed quietly and fully turned to see what Sasuke had been doing. 

Sasuke watched as Naruto stripped down to a viciously cheerful pair of orange boxers with red swirls on them. Naruto’s gorgeously tanned skin looked perfect in the warm sunlight. He suddenly felt the urge to touch the golden skin and taste the strawberry flavor he had been craving. Realizing he had been staring when Naruto looked over, he tore his gaze away and back to what he had been doing. 

Curiously, Naruto ambled over to him and leaned over, inspecting his work. “Teme, what are you doing?” Sasuke had amassed a pile of bamboo sticks and was cutting horizontally into the end of one. Several broken bamboo shoots were strewn around, each with the ends severed. Along with the scattered shoots, vines of all sizes were at Sasuke’s feet. 

“It’s getting later in the day and we walked around for a long time using up a lot of energy. My guess is that it’s near lunch time. Simply put, I’m hungry.” Grunting, he jammed the knife in his hand into the bamboo end and sawed it down. His hands showed several pink nicks. 

“You’re hungry. Because of this, you’re cutting up bamboo sticks. What are you, a panda? We can’t eat that.” Naruto scratched his stomach and was surprised to find that he was starving. _The bastard seems smart, so maybe he knows what he is doing and we can eat bamboo…..Bamboo ramen? Hmm, I’d try that._

Sasuke mentally facepalmed. Of course the dobe is this dumb. “These are for fishing,” He deadpanned, “Not for eating.”

Blinking, Naruto stared at the shoots. “Fishing?” Picking a uncut one up, he twirled it around and played with it like a sword. “Oh, I get it. We stab the fish!” He mimicked how he thought the stabbing would take place. 

“In a sense, yes, but not with that one, moron. One of these.” Sasuke held up his completed project. It was a bamboo shoot ending in four prongs. Vines were wrapped around and in between the prongs, separating them to gain a wider range of attack. “This is way better than a simple spear, and has a better chance of success.” Sasuke took the shoot and whirled it around, jutting the divided end at Naruto. 

Naruto felt miffed at being called a moron. Just to spite Sasuke, he chose to fish with the spear instead. 

“No, I think the spear is deadlier. We should use it instead.”

“No, this is better. I actually know what I’m doing, dobe.”

“So do I! I’ve been fishing with Iruka before, I know how it works.” Naruto crossed his arms.

“Itachi made me take classes; I passed with excellent marks. This is way superior.” Sasuke crossed his arms.

“No! My spear is way better! You can go play with your trident and I’ll hunt with my spear!” 

Naruto stomped over to the pile of unused bamboo shoots and took several. Marching over to another side of the pool, he dumped them by the water’s edge. 

“This is my side. You fish over there, I fish over here. You get to eat whatever you catch and I the same. Whoever gets the most fish is the winner.” Staking a spear in the ground, Naruto turned to Sasuke, challenging him.

Sasuke smirked. Lifting an eyebrow, he shook his head slightly. “You really want to turn this into a competition? Especially against me?” _Oh the dobe has no idea what he’s getting himself into. This is going to be fun._ Sasuke was surprised that he was actually looking forward to it. He usually hated anything like this, but something about Naruto brought out his playful side. Licking his lips, he could picture them being playful in a different way. 

“You think you can beat the great Uzumaki Naruto, bastard!?” 

Naruto stuck another stance, this time he propped a foot on a nearby rock in the water and thumbed down at Sasuke. _I’ll show that bastard just how good I am at fishing. …I don’t really remember anything of what Iruka told me, but it’s probably like riding a bike, you never forget!_

“It’s not that I think I can beat you, I will. Wouldn’t you rather spare yourself the embarrassment of utterly and completely losing?” Internally grinning, Sasuke knew he was aggravating up the blond. 

“Teme! You can’t beat me! I bet you’re just chicken shit! You’re scared you know you’ll lose!” _That does it, I’ll show this bastard just how well I can fish and beat his ass!_

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Chicken shit? Oh, it’s on. “Alright dobe, I accept your challenge. Prepare to lose.” Sasuke picked up his weapon and walked to the edge of the pool opposite of Naruto’s side. He jabbed stake into the ground and turned to Naruto. 

“Rules are: Only fish with your weapon. Nothing else. No sabotaging and no stealing prey. Deal?” 

“Deal!” 

Naruto balanced himself on a rock and crouched down. Leisurely, the fish swam by. _These are all small fry though. I want the big ones._ Shoulders itching, he spotted a big one swimming close by. Grinning, he steadied himself and prepared to stab. His shadow loomed over the fish and it jetted away. Naruto’s stomach growled in sadness. There went his sushi. … _this may be a little harder than I anticipated. No matter, I can’t lose to the cocky teme!_

Sasuke stood on a rock and watched the water below him. He made sure to keep his shadow in the water opposite to where he was hunting as to not scare the fish away. Feeling slightly competitive, he searched for the biggest fish he could find. One that would make Naruto furious with envy. Peeking over at the smaller male, he noticed Naruto’s back was looking very pink. _After we are done eating, we should probably build some sort of shelter. Sunburns can get pretty bad if we don’t watch it._ Rubbing his own pinkish shoulders, he grimaced at the tightness he felt. It stung slightly and would probably need lotion. Damn his pale skin that burns easily. Behind him, he heard Naruto splashing in the water and griping about something. _Moron, doesn’t he know he’ll scare the fish that way? Oh well, guess it’s my win._ A rather big fish appeared to becoming towards him. Is that a catfish? Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Smirking, Sasuke readied himself to attack. The fish made his way to Sasuke’s rock and paused to graze on some plant life. _There!_ Sasuke pulled his arm back and proceeded to be wacked in the head with Naruto’s spear. 

Naruto saw several fish eating around his rock and chose his target. A bluish-grayish fish with stripes on the back. _I wonder what this one will taste like._ Steadying his spear, he threw it with all his might at his victim. His aim had been off and the fish darted away. 

“Fuck, that was close! I almost had it.” 

Naruto sighed and went to retrieve his spear, hopping on the rocks closest. Grabbing on to the end sticking out of the water he yanked on it. It didn’t budge. Frowning, he grasped it with both hands and heaved. The spear moved slightly but was still stuck. Peering in to the water, he saw that the spear was jammed between to big rocks. _Maybe if I get in the water and pull harder, it’ll come out._ Nodding to himself, he plopped into the pool and waded over to his weapon. Planting one foot against a rock, he jerked on it as hard as he could; putting his back into it. It popped free and sailed out of his hands. Watching it gracefully arc in the air, he observed as it twirled through the air and whacked Sasuke in the head. It knocked the raven off balance and made him step into the water, scaring off his lunch. Wincing, Naruto laughed sheepishly. 

“Hey Sasuke, you think I could have that back? It sort of just….got out of hand.” 

Sasuke slowly turned to glower at the blond. Ignoring the urge to rub his head, he bent down and picked up the fallen weapon. Throwing it back to the dobe, he turned back to his perch and resumes his earlier stance. _Now all the fish are scared and won’t want to return. Shit, this is going to take all day. Dumbass just had to ruin my lunch._

“Thanks!” Naruto knew he had pissed off the taller male, but he really didn’t care. Now that he had his spear back, it was time to keep hunting for his meal. Griping his now slippery armament, he went back to his rock and rethought his plan. _Okay, if I keep just throwing it, it’ll keep getting stuck. Maybe if I use it like a pole vault, it’ll get stuck, but I’ll pull it out right as it does! Perfect!_ Standing on his rock, he inspected the water, searching for another big fish. 

Sasuke jammed his spear into the water as hard and as fast as he could. The poor fish had no chance of survival once caught in Sasuke’s crosshairs. Tugging it back out of the water, the victim flopped weakly on the prongs. Grimacing, Sasuke pulled it off the prongs and placed it on a bed of leaved he had collected. It was his third. Feeling satisfied, he looked over a Naruto. The blond was stock still with his spear poised ready to strike. Glancing around Naruto, he noticed that the Naruto had no fish yet. Sasuke smiled smugly. _Well, well, dobe. Looks like I won, just like I said I would._

Spotting a flawless looking black fish, Naruto sprang into action. He jumped and slammed his spear down, using the momentum to fly forward and land in the water. He pulled on the weapon to bring it out, but the slippery stick slid out of his hands and smacked into Sasuke’s back, fish and all. _Oh shit, not again. The bastards gonna be pissed._

Sasuke had been enjoying a nice fresh breeze when he was hit again. The spear had startled him, but he had managed to keep his composure. _The dobe can’t fish worth shit. It’s not his fault that he never had the proper training. Just throw it back Sasuke, just throw it back._ Picking up the abusive spear, he turned to Naruto and chucked it at him. Silently, he returned to his hunting. 

Surprised that Sasuke has said nothing, Naruto made face at him. Naruto had noticed that Sasuke had already caught several fish and felt jealous. _The stupid teme was winning! Not on my watch he won’t!_

Around ten minutes later, Naruto had managed to catch 2 fish. He pouted as he looked them over. Both were really small and skinny. He slyly looked over to where Sasuke’s fish were. The five that he had caught were pretty big and thick. _The bastard won’t notice if one or two of his are missing._ Keeping his eyes on Sasuke’s back, he slowly snuck up behind him. Sasuke was staring off in another direction, not paying attention to his fish. Naruto quietly waded through the water with his fish and reached his destination. He stretched his arm out to grab on to an orange and blue one and replace it with his own, his stomach growling in anticipation. As soon as he touched it, Sasuke reached over and whacked him with a stick. 

“OW! Teme, what the hell! Naruto rubbed the new bump on his head tenderly. 

“Dobe, we agreed no sabotaging or stealing fish!” Sasuke was irritated with the blond. After beating him with the bamboo shoots, the dumbass wanted to steal his catch! It was his catch! 

“But you didn’t have to hit me!” Naruto had been struggling all day and now the bastard wouldn’t share! What an asshole! “You should learn how to share!” 

“You’ve been fucking throwing spears at me the entire day, dumbass. How does it feel? And you said this was a competition. A competition means no sharing!” Sasuke was beginning to go cross-eyed from glaring too intently at the blind moron. 

“I haven’t been throwing spears all day, it was only twice and they were both accidents! I was only kidding about the competition.” 

“Only kidding? You looked pretty damn serious about it. How was that an accident? You hit me twice.” 

“It slipped out of my hands so it was too and accident. We are stuck on this island together, so we need to work together.” 

“No, my fish. I hunted with my ‘trident’ as you so eloquently called it, and got my lunch. You need to catch your own.” 

Naruto threw his hands in the air. “So you would just leave me to starv- oh.” When Naruto had thrust his hands in the air, the fish in his hands slipped out and one struck Sasuke in the face. Closing his mouth, Naruto tried to contain his laughter. Shoulders shaking he desperately tried to reign himself in, but ultimately burst out laughing loudly. Grabbing his stomach, he doubled over and howled. 

Eye twitching, Sasuke wiped the fish from his face and grabbed his spear. He waded over to Naruto and pushed him in the water. Walking over to the edge of the pool, he stepped out, still holding his spear. Naruto popped out of the water sniggering and picked up his own weapon. Noticing that Sasuke was out of the water, he reached over to Sasuke’s fish and took one. Jumping out, he called out to Sasuke and ran to the other side of the pool. 

“Hey Sasuke! Missing anything?” Naruto proudly held up his stolen goods. 

Sasuke whipped his head around and saw that Naruto had stolen one of his fish. Growling, he stalked over to where Naruto was. Naruto saw Sasuke coming and ran away. Snickering, he placed the fish on the ground and bounded away like a fox. Sasuke neared the fish and went to pick it up. Naruto suddenly ran back and attacked, hitting Sasuke in the arm with his spear. 

“HA! How does that feel, huh?!” 

Naruto’s victory was short-lived as Sasuke quickly retaliated. Sasuke jumped away and smacked Naruto’s tan back with his own weapon. Smirking predatorily, he slinked back and prepared to strike again. 

“You were saying, dobe?” 

Naruto winced at the blow and hastily jabbed Sasuke in the stomach. 

“Ung.” 

Sasuke flinched and dropped to the ground. Rolling away, he sprang up and hit Naruto’s firm ass. Naruto yelped and rubbed his butt furiously. Letting out and Indian war cry with his spear high in the air, he chased after Sasuke who sprinted ahead of him, purposely close enough, but still out of reach. Sasuke then turned around and ran at Naruto, who was forced to dodge out of the way, leaving him open for an attack. Sasuke took the advantage and hit Naruto in the leg. Naruto summersaulted to the right and thrust his spear, managing to strike Sasuke on the back of his knee. Sasuke fell forward on one knee and swept his other leg in an arc, knocking Naruto to the floor. Flipping away, Sasuke stood up and posed in a fighting stance with his spear, watching as Naruto did the same. 

**Some time later.**

Naruto and Sasuke lay panting on the floor, both their bodies covered with nicks and bruises. 

“How about….. a truce?” Naruto suggested, his whole body aching. Wincing, he sat up and his injuries cried out in protest. 

“Fine…..whatever. Sasuke agreed, his throat dry. Laying on the cool grass and watching the darkening sky helped keep his mind off of his aches and pains. 

**xXxMore time later xXx**

Sasuke and Naruto leaned over and stared at the pile of fish. The fish smelled bad and they had no idea how to cook it. 

“We can’t eat it raw, right?” Naruto looked over at Sasuke for confirmation. Sasuke nodded, his hand rubbing a bruise on his shoulder. 

“We could if it was sushi, but neither you nor I have any experience being chefs. Raw fish is full of dangerous bacteria and parasites. Maybe we have to skin it….de-scale it?” 

Sasuke stared uncomfortably at the fish. One seemed to be staring at him and it was creeping him out. 

“Since you went training or whatever, shouldn’t you know?” Naruto was starving and now that they had the fish, they didn’t know how to eat it. _Gaah! This is aggravating!_ Naruto poked at a bruise on his shin. It was a dark red and hurt like a bitch. 

“It seems that I forgot. Might have lost it when you kept hitting me in the head. And didn’t you say someone taught you? Why don’t you know?” Sasuke was irritated that all his hard work could be wasted. 

Naruto scratched his back. “Err, Iruka tried telling me, but I couldn’t pay attention. It was really boring.” 

“Then there is only one thing to do. We have to roast it. To roast it, we’ll need a fire.” Sasuke stood up straight and gazed into the surrounding forest before bringing his face to look up into the sky. “And we have to do it fast. Soon, the sun will be gone and it’s going to get cold. We’ll need a fire to keep warm." 

“Hey teme.” Naruto crouched down near the fish, poking one with his finger. 

“What now, dobe?” 

“Do you have any idea how to make a fire without a lighter?” 

Sasuke mentally facepalmed and groaned. _This shit keeps getting better and better._

“No.” 


	7. Does anyone even read these?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I fucked up on the chapter order, I figured I might as well upload two chapters. So technically, you're getting the actual ch. 5 and ch. 7 today :D

“Would anyone care to explain why I’m here?” 

As soon as those words were spoken, the temperature of the room seemed to drop instantly. A chill filled the air as no one wanted to be the unlucky one to answer. Everyone tried to avoid looking at him directly as his eyes were roaming the room for answers. The smooth voice was a mask of indifference, but had a barely detectable undertone of anger. Itachi sat down and lifted an eyebrow. Lightly adjusting his tie, he leaned back in his seat and placed his phone on the table.

“Well?” He asked irritably.

Kakashi cleared his throat and decided to be the one to answer. Standing up, he held his hands behind his back and slowly walked around the table. Bringing one hand to his face to inhale, he gently tapped the cigarette against an ashtray to shake off the ash. 

“Yesterday at approximately 9:27 PM, the plane Sasuke was on stopped emitting the tracking signal we had attached to it. The backup transmitter would not pick up the signal and we lost the plane somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. We believe the signal was purposely cut off.” 

Iruka’s eyes followed Kakashi as the man circled the table. When Kakashi finished talking, he brought his gaze back to Itachi. The man’s face seemed to have frozen over, with the eyes narrowing into small slits. A dark, menacing aura appeared to envelope Itachi as he leaned his face slightly forward, a shadow hiding the top half of his face as his hair slowly drifted in front of it. Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath as they waited for the wrath that was Itachi. The atmosphere was thick with tension. 

“You mean to tell me that my little brother is lost somewhere over the Pacific Ocean and we have no idea what his exact location is?” 

His voice had a sharp edge and was as cold ice. The dangerous tone seemed to make the entire room gulp, as his voice hissed out. Iruka was immediately on his guard. Itachi made the hairs on his neck stand up. Kakashi nodded, slowly.

“Shikamaru is working on it now.” He nodded over to Shikamaru who had made a laptop appear out of nowhere and was typing incredibly fast. His eyes darted around the screen taking in all of the information they could find. Kakashi turned back to Itachi. “There was a storm happening when the signal was lost, so that may be a reason wh-“

“I don’t need guesses, I need facts.”

Itachi cut in sharply, his tone booking no argument. He snapped his fingers and a scared looking boy with a long scarf quickly walked forward, a water bottle in his hand. Giving the bottle to Itachi with a shaky hand, the boy hastily disappeared, receding back into a dark corner of the room. Twisting the bottle open, Itachi took a small sip and placed it down.

“I want to know everything we have on the incident. And I mean, _now_.” 

The room erupted into a flurry of activity as everyone, except Iruka, immediately stood up began to move the table. Ino brought out a small remote and pressed a button. Panels on the ceiling mechanically slid open to reveal square holes. Five large flat computer screens were lowered and the lights in the room dimmed. Shikamaru walked over to a black box mounted on the wall and opened it, bringing out cables that were inside. Attaching the cables to his laptop, he stuck the other end into the middle screen. Now displaying on all of the screens were the various files he had open. One screen exhibited all of the countries of the world in green numbers running down the screen. Another showed the Pacific Ocean and a small plane figurine detailing where Sasuke’s plane would have been if on course. The biggest screen portrayed the area the transmitter had ultimately lost the signal, a small blinking red light surrounded by an ocean of blue. All of the chairs were set to the side as Itachi stood up and walked closer to the screens. Sticking one hand in his pants pocket, he silently watched with dark eyes as his employees scampered around. 

“Kakashi. I want you to find all the exact reason why the signal was lost. Nara, bring up the last time the transmitter was still functional and the plane security tapes. I don’t care if it’s protected. If it is, hack it.” 

Smoke slowly drifting out of his cigarette, Kakashi brought out his laptop, sat by the discarded table, and began to type rapidly. Iruka, who had been silently observing everyone, felt completely out of his league. He was surrounded by strangers who may or may not be able to tell him exactly what happened to the plane. Sitting down next to Kakashi, he peered into the screen, hoping to find some sort of information. On the screen, there was a recording of the signal waves. The spikes appeared to look like the ones usually found on EEG machines.

“See,” Kakashi began, pointing to a picture on the corner of the screen, “this small box was attached to the inside of the cabin in which Sasuke was. The back up on was on Sasuke’s luggage.” Kakashi pulled up a picture of a small bug attached to a silver briefcase. “All of a sudden, something happens and the first one stops. Seconds later, the backup stops functioning. Now, the first one is easily disarmed if you know what you are doing, but the second transmitter is supposed to be the absolute best, nearly indestructible. The only thing know to fuck them up are explosion shock waves. This is what makes me slightly edgy.”

Iruka gaped at him, his eyes widening. “You mean the plane exploded. That’s why it’s missing?” His heart skipped a couple beats as he imagined Naruto getting injured. _Oh, no, please no._

“No, that’s just a theory. It might just be malfunctioning, but because this is Sasuke, it is always better to know what is actually happening. 

“What do you mean, ‘because this is Sasuke’?”

“That is of no concern to you.” 

A voice spoke up behind Iruka. Jumping slightly in surprise, he turned around to find Itachi standing behind them. Despite feeling intimidated by Itachi, Iruka refused to look away or back down. 

“Of course it is of concern of mine.” _How could it not? My son was on that plane and is probably hurt somewhere thanks to your brother, you insufferable asshole._

“And exactly how is it? Kakashi, who is this?” He looked Iruka over with a distasteful eye, seeming to mock Iruka. 

“Oh, he’s-“

“If you want to know my name, you should ask me.” 

Standing up, Iruka turned to stare at Itachi. His chocolate gaze met deep black. Temper boiling at being treated so disrespectfully, Iruka reigned in his anger and fisted his hands. Putting on a deadpan face, Iruka silently challenged the pale Uchiha as he crossed his arms. 

“My name is Iruka Umino.”

The whole room appeared to have lost the ability to speak and move. Every eye was staring intently over at the confrontation. Minds shocked at someone having the audacity to speak to the Itachi Uchiha like that. Choji had begun to snack on chips again and Ino rolled her eyes at him. Even Shikamaru had momentarily stopped his rapid typing to curiously look over before deeming it troublesome and returning to his work. Ten Ten was busy looking through papers, sparing them only a fleeting glance. Gai was attentively trying to walk on his hands, oblivious to the situation. Neji was simply watching, with his face giving away no thoughts of his. 

“It is of my concern because my son was on that plane along with your brother. Anything that happened to your brother, could have happened to my son and I need to know what.”

“Not possible. Unless your son was the pilot, that plane should have been empty, besides my brother.”

Eye twitching, Iruka responded sharply. “My son was set to ride plane 7 through the storm because I needed him here as fast as possible. Do not tell me that it was empty if you have no proof.”

Cocking his head slightly, Itachi turned and called out to Ino.

“Ino, find the passenger seating chart for plane 7 and give me names.” 

“Yes, sir, right away.” Walking over to a discarded laptop, Ino opened it and began to type up something, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

“If I find you are fucking with me Umino, and are ultimately a part of this, I will make you regret it.” Itachi glared down at the slightly shorter Iruka, his voice dripping with threats. The black eyes swirled with the promise of pain and something worse than death.

Eyes narrowing, Iruka frowned. This man would not scare him away. “I could say the same to you, Uchiha.” 

Meanwhile, Kakashi had been watching the whole exchange like someone who was watching a ping pong tournament, his eyes going back and forth. Shikamaru had called over to Itachi and the man walked over to him. Iruka sat down ram rod straight in his seat and tried to calm his racing heart. Adrenaline had spiked in his veins as he argued with Itachi. Refusing to back down or be intimidated, he knew that the only way to know things around here was to basically force a person to tell you. The fact that Itachi hadn’t kicked him out was a positive sign, one that he fully intended to exploit if need be. 

“Well that was……interesting, to say the least.” A cheerful voice spoke into Iruka’s ear. Kakashi grinned at him, his mismatched eyes full of mirth. 

“Nobody ever talks to Itachi like that. Quite impressive, I might say. Usually it’s a death warrant.” 

Iruka sighed and leaned in his seat. “I don’t really like arguing, I just want to know what happened to Naruto. I’m really worried.”

“I’m sure nothing has happened, Glitches happen all the time and all of us may be overreacting. Sasuke and Naruto are probably stuck in another airport. This means, I should probably check the airports close to where they should be, in case, they had to do an emergency landing. Hmm” Kakashi trailed off as the computer absorbed his attention. 

Kakashi felt bad for having to ignore the brunette, but he had a job to do and a demon breathing down his neck to do it. _I brought him into this, so it’s my fault. But if I hadn’t, he would be left at that airport why Naruto never showed up. By the looks of it, his job isn’t as well paying as this one and I doubt he would have the resources to find out what happened. Especially since Itachi keeps Sasuke under the radar ever since his childhood. It’s actually a good thing that Itachi watches over him as much, even if the brat doesn’t appreciate it. If it weren’t for Itachi, Sasuke wouldn’t even be here. …….Or there, wherever he is._ Cursing, Kakashi found no results on emergency landings anywhere near the airports close to the spot where the plane vanished. Itachi was not going to be happy. And neither was Iruka, for that matter.

“Itachi,” Ino called out, “I found that passenger list you wanted. The only people on the plane were the pilot, a stewardess, Sasuke, and a Naruto Uzumaki.”

“That’s him! That’s my son!” Iruka felt elated that now Itachi would know that Naruto was on the plane and now _had_ to tell him any information he found.

Frowning, Itachi peered into the computer Ino had and his lips thinned out ever so slightly.

“It would appear that I was wrong. No matter, my last statement still stands.”

Eyes boring into Iruka’s, Itachi brought a hand to his chest pocket and brought out a sleek black device. Iruka nearly rolled his eyes. Itachi hadn’t even apologized for being wrong. Looking curiously at the back thing in Itachi’s hand, Iruka touched his pocket for his own cell.

Iruka rubbed his face and took out his cell phone. Dialing Naruto, he ultimately ended up hearing the same voicemail he had memorized at the airport terminal. Grunting in frustration, he squeezed the phone and yawned. The adrenaline had worn off and made him extremely tired. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and wandered over to the screens, away from Itachi and loosening his tie as he went. Although they weren’t arguing, the tension was still there. One of the screens showed only numbers and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t make sense of it. A tap on his shoulder had him turning around. 

“Here.”

Choji had felt bad for him and had brought him a cup of black coffee. Despite not knowing the man, Choji decided to be nice to him. It wasn’t every day that a loved one went missing.

“Thank you.” Iruka said appreciatively. The warm, delicious aroma wafted up and he inhaled deeply. Taking a small sip, he tried to avoid thinking the absolute worst. _The fact that the transmitter these people planted is not working and one was probably blown up or something worries me. Oh god Naruto, I’m sorry I pushed you to get on the plane. If you come back safely, I’ll buy you all the ramen in the world. Please just be safe._

Iruka’s thoughts were cut short by the shrill noise of a phone ringing. The entire room seemed to get quiet. 

“Wait, who would be calling at this hour?”

Iruka mused aloud. No one answered, for no one knew. Kakashi walked over to the phone on the wall and picked it up. In a crisp, strictly business voice, he answered.

“Uchiha Companies, this is Kakashi, how may I help you?”

All eyes were on Kakashi as he talked. Itachi’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and he strolled over to the phone. Pressing a button, he activated a speaker button that connected to the computer screens from the ceiling. An image of a gray haired man with a pale green background popped up. He had round glasses and his hair up in a ponytail. A glare covered the crystal of his glasses, making his eyes unreadable.

“-is Itachi there?”

A sickeningly slimy, snobbish voice came out of the speakers. Iruka could picture the disgusting person even without looking at the screen. _Who is this? Why would they call at this hour? Do they know something?_ Sliding over to Kakashi, he whispered to him, “Hey Kakashi, do you know this person?”

Kakashi had on a disgusted face. “Yea, it’s one of the co-presidents of the rivals to the Uchiha companies. Wonder what the bastard wants now.” Inhaling the last of his cigarette, he jammed the butt into an ashtray.

“Kabuto.”

Iruka had never heard so much displeasure and disgust put in one word before. Strangely fascinated, he kept his gaze on Itachi. The man’s face seemed to get darker as the phone call went on.

“Ah, hello Itachi. Having a good morning?”

The nasal voice was dripping with a tone of secrecy, hinting to everyone that there was a purpose to his call. Kabuto’s face tilted slightly, a smirk on his lips.

“I’ve had worse. What do you want?”

Itachi’s voice was curt and obviously irritated. His face betrayed no emotion.

“My, what an inhospitable tone you have. It’s such a shame. Did something happen? Did you……..lose something?”

Iruka’s eyes widened as a bolt of realization shot through him. Kabuto knew something. _If Kakashi said that this one of the rivals to the Uchiha companies, and the comment he just made…..He knows something, I’m dead positive he knows something._ Wanting to demand Kabuto tell him what happened to Naruto, he knew it was best to leave it to the people who knew how to deal with him. Kakashi stepped towards the screens towards the computer screens, his eyes shocked and his hands fisted. Itachi had frozen in place, his pale face one of undiluted rage. Ino had let out a small gasp and Shikamaru had stopped typing. 

Itachi softly walked over to the screens and looked up. 

“How do you know?”

His voice was completely emotionless. His eyes seemed to glow red as he continued staring at the screen. His body posture was completely relaxed, but Iruka could tell that Itachi was tense and extremely angry.

Kakashi glared at the screen, his mismatched eyes shining with rage. _That sick fucker knows what happened to Sasuke and Naruto. That twisted fucktard has no idea what he has just now started. This goes beyond simple rivalry, this is personal._ Mouth twisted in a scowl, Kakashi shook his head. _If he thinks Itachi will not be able to do anything, he’s got another thing coming. Motherfucker is going to wish he had never been born._

“Whatever do you mean? How do I know what?”

Kabuto smiled at Itachi, his face warped in a cruel smile. 

“Don’t you fuck with me,” Itachi said slowly and quietly, the waves of silent anger radiating off of him. “You know what I meant. Tell me now.”

Authority rang strong in Itachi’s voice, but Kabuto refused to listen. 

“As it would seem, I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about. Are you sure you’re getting enough sleep? Sleep is essential. It prevents anything from ……..blowing up in your face.”

“Listen here, you miserable, worthless, piece of shit, if you do not tell me what you know about what happened to Sasuke, I will end you. I will rip every organ from your body, piece by piece with a pair of pliers. I will eviscerate your eyes and exonerate your internal organs with a rusty spoon. Tell me what happened to my little brother, _now_!”

The death threats hissing gently out of Itachi’s mouth had the whole room cringing and fearful for their own lives. The tense atmosphere was almost palpable; the suffocating animosity radiating from the president of the Uchiha companies was terrifyingly dark in its absolute hostility. Iruka was shocked that a man was capable of sounding so utterly deadly and intimidating, and was shocked that Itachi would go that far for Sasuke. But if it was Naruto, Iruka would go above and beyond that. Even Kakashi seemed somewhat subdued when Itachi spoke, his cheerful disposition forgotten and cast away. Throughout the conversation, Itachi’s face had not changed in the slightest, the pale mask portraying no expression, the dark eyes glistening with danger. Even is posture had not changed, not betraying his voice at all.

“My, my, my, such foul language. Didn’t your mother ever tell you to not speak like that? It’s just distasteful. It causes things to come….crashing down upon you.”

Itachi walked up to the screen. Looking a Kabuto, he smiled lightly. 

“From now on, whenever you go out, you better be looking behind you.”

*Click*

The screen went black.


	8. I've never had a smore before

“Okay. We’re going to need lots of wood and other flammable things.”

Naruto stood up and scratched his back uncomfortably. Stretching, he gazed around the clearing.

“Thanks captain obvious. Anything else you want to add?” 

Sasuke asked sarcastically. Glancing up again at the sky, he tried to judge the time. _Judging by the color of the sky and the position of the sun, I have no idea what time it is. Probably around two o’clock if my stomach is right. That gives us approximately five to six hours to make a fire, eat, and find somewhere to sleep. We’ll have to make shelters tomorrow._

“Stop being such a bastard, teme. It’s annoying.” Naruto crossed his arms and glared at Sasuke.

“Hn.”

“See what I mean? You can’t speak for long without saying ‘hn’ and saying something douche-y. Try to lighten up.”

“That’s like me asking you to shut up. It’s not possible. Now stop being such a dobe and let’s make a fire.” 

Walking over to his clothes, he inspected them. _Hmm, they feel dry enough to wear. Better going into the jungle with damp clothes than going in basically naked._ Tugging his shirt off the branch, he grimaced as he pulled it on. The damp fabric dragged against his skin and he buttoned it up. Pulling on his pants, he noticed a small white stain near the crotch. Blushing lightly, he realized it was cum. _Looks like I’ll have to wash these later, without the dobe knowing._ Buttoning them up, he decided to forgo putting on his jacket. Lacing up his shoes, he appreciated the feel of the rubber protecting his feet from the sharp stones and angry crabs. 

Naruto quickly followed suit and put on his clothes. Struggling into his damp pants, he managed to button them and squirmed uncomfortably. He stepped into his shoes and attempted to yank on his shirt simultaneously. His head halfway out of his collar, he cursed when his feet would not go smoothly into his shoes.

“You know, most people like to put their left shoe on their left foot.”

The smug filled remark drifted into his ear. Popping his head out of his collar, he glanced down to see that he was indeed putting on his shoes on his opposite feet. Blushing, he kicked them off and proceeded to put them on the correct feet. 

“Well I’m not like most people.” Naruto replied with mix of conceitedness and self-consciousness.

“Yea, I’ve noticed. Some people also like to put their shirt on the right way. “

Sasuke casually observed, his lips in an amused smirk. Naruto peeped down at his shirt and noticed that the tag was sticking out and tickling his throat. Naruto pursed his lips glared over at Sasuke. Detecting something, his hurt ego slightly rose and lifted his marginally dampened mood. Grinning slyly, he nodded at the raven. 

“And some people like to wear clean pants.” He retorted lightly.

Sasuke’s eyes fractionally widened before narrowing. Blushing faintly, he cocked his head and raised an eyebrow as he stepped closer to the blond.

“And some people like to have a bit of self-restraint.” 

Naruto scoffed. Stepping closer, he uncrossed his arms.

“Oh really? And some people know how to keep their hands to themselves.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto, getting in his face.

“Well, some people like to watch where they’re running.”

Naruto was about to reply, but they both realized at the same time that they had gotten really close to each other, their faces merely inches apart. Stepping back, they both looked away and stood there uncomfortably. Sasuke was the one to break the awkward silence.

“……Right, the fire. We need to find dry wood and do this Neanderthal style.”

Naruto scrunched his face in confusion and raked his hand through his wild hair.

“Neanderthal style? Like rubbing two sticks together?”

“Precisely. Now let’s get going, the daylight is fading fast.” 

Sasuke walked into the green jungle with Naruto in tow. Up above them, the sky was a darkening cerulean blue speckled with white fluffs. Along the horizon, menacing gray clouds drifted by.

**xXx**

Moving around in a flashy manner, Naruto spoke to an invisible audience as he looked for firewood. 

“I’m hunting for the rare firewood. Now this is really dangerous, for there are many things that can kill you out here. Being prepared is always best. The firewood is nasty thing; its bite is lethal. Attempting to find some is not advised. But I am going to do something even more dangerous than that! 

Grabbing a few branches off the floor, he twirled them in his hands and struck a pose.   
“I will catch one and use it for protein!” 

Fighting off make-believe monsters, he picked up more branches and used them to defend himself. Humming a superhero theme song, he jumped onto logs and scoped out the area. Seeing a familiar mop of spikey black hair in the distance, he forgot his audience and went over to his grumpy friend. Landing next to a crouching Sasuke, Naruto nudged him. 

“How about these sticks? They seem good enough.”

Naruto held out the bundle of twigs and branches he picked up for Sasuke to inspect. 

“For the last time dobe, they need to be dry. The ones on the floor are all damp. It would be impossible to light them on fire.

Frustrated, Naruto threw down the bundle. Irritated, he grinded his teeth and pulled off a loose branch from a small tree.

“How’s this one, huh? Dry enough for you?”

Sasuke took the branch that had been shoved at him. Looking it over, he saw that it was perfect,

“Actually, yea. This one is perfectly dry.”

Looking down at the pile they had amassed, he predicted that they now had enough to keep a strong fire going. Adding the branch to the pile, he bent down and scooped up most of them.

“It looks like we have enough now. Come on, let’s head back.”

Naruto stared at Sasuke’s retreating back. _How come he gets to call the shots? Who died and made him king of the island? Stupid teme just keeps bossing me around like he owns me. Not that I would mind it he did-NO. NO. Nobody owns Uzumaki Naruto! Nobody! Anyway, next time he tries to boss me around, I’ll show him who’s boss._

Whistling, he picked up the remaining sticks and walked fast to catch up.

When they brought the sticks back to their little camp ground, Naruto arranged several of them in a teepee close to the sandy bank of the pool. Sasuke brought rocks over and put them in a circle to prevent the fire from spreading. Only they didn’t have a fire.

“Rub faster, Teme! You’re not making any progress!”

Naruto yelled as Sasuke was hunched over the stick pile, desperately rubbing two branches together. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke’s lean arm muscles bunched in effort as he viciously grinded them together, sweat slowly sliding down his face. He had created a small groove on one stick and was attempting to make a fire with friction by grinding the two twigs against each other. He was rewarded for his efforts with a small poof of smoke. Naruto whistled as it slowly dispersed.

“You made smoke. Not bad.”

Sasuke wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Grouchy, he shoved the sticks towards Naruto and stood up.

“You think you can do better, dobe? Go ahead, try it.”

He walked to the pool and crouched down, dipping his hands in and washing his face. He ignored the urge to massage his biceps and settled for drinking some water. _Hn, let’s see the dobe fail at another thing. If I can’t do it, then he definitely can’t._ Wiping the water from his eyes, he smirked and turned around, expecting to see Naruto get frustrated and give up. 

“Oi bastard, look! I made fire! Naruto one, Sasuke one!”

Sasuke blinked. Naruto was proudly standing next to a tiny, flickering fire. A huge grin was on his face, his deep blue eyes wide with glee. Keeping his incredulousness hidden, Sasuke shook his hands dry.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“Because I’m Uzumaki Naruto! I can do anything!”

Annoyed that the dobe did something he couldn’t, Sasuke scoffed at the small fire.

“It’s too small. Make it bigger and then you can gloat. Besides, anything you can do, I can do better.”

Naruto crossed his arms and pursed his lips. 

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can.”

“Then why did I actually make a fire and you couldn’t?”

“Dumb luck.”

Bickering, they began to roast the fish, sticking one on a twig and holding it over the open flame. The delicious smell of cooked fish began to permeate the air, making stomachs growl intensely. The fire crackled and snapped, embers lightly floating and swirling in the air. Smoke trailed up into the now navy blue sky, disappearing. The moon rained light down upon them, hindered only by the clouds drifting by. A quiet zephyr chilled the air, brushing against the fire and making it dance wildly. Crickets sang out from the darkness of the jungle, filling the air with their symphony. Sasuke and Naruto had dragged a large fallen log over to the now bigger fire and had plopped down on it as they cooked their meal. 

Munching on the fish, Naruto spit out the small fish bones and dug in. Glancing over at Sasuke, he noticed that the raven was voraciously eating the fish. Fascinated, he saw that Sasuke almost left the fish’s skeleton bare. _…like a piranha… Sasuke must have been starving. Not as much as me though._ Chowing down, they both quickly finished off the fish they had managed to catch. Sasuke slid off the log and leaned on it, his feet pointed towards the fire. Letting his head hang back, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Naruto placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. Staring into the fire, Naruto’s mind began to wander to things he wanted to avoid. Refusing to voice them, he rubbed his face and moved to plop down next to Sasuke. Fiddling around with a small rock, he soon felt sleepy, lulled by the warmth of the fire and the quiet rustling of the trees. Sighing, he tossed the rock up and down.

“Oi, teme.” He said quietly.

“Hn.”

“Do you think we’ll be rescued?”

“Of course. No question.”

“But how can you be so sure? What if are stuck here for forever? Nobody knows we’re here………What if we’re going to die out here?”

Sighing, Sasuke cracked opened his eyes and peeked over at the blond. Naruto had a deep look on his face. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was biting his lower lip. Internally snorting at the urge to offer some comfort, Sasuke settled for nudging the smaller man. 

“Think about it dobe. Wasn’t someone waiting for you at the airport? Don’t you think they would notice if you never landed?”

“Oh, yea, Iruka was supposed to be waiting for me. Oh shit, Iruka was supposed to be waiting for me! He’s going to be furious. I hope he’s not that mad….or worried.”

Naruto began to naw on his lip. Scratching his sore back against the log, he chucked the rock he had been playing with into the fire. A splash of embers erupted into the air and slowly faded out of sight.

“Hn. Kakashi told me that he would be waiting for me at the end of the gate.” 

Smirking, Sasuke knew his godfather would be pissed at having to wait for so long. Pushing a twig into the fire, Sasuke yawned. Curiously, Naruto wondered who Kakashi was. So he asked.

“Hey bastard, who is Kakashi?”

Sasuke snorted lightly. “He’s my godfather. Has been since I was small.”

Naruto thought of Iruka and accidentally blurted out, “What about your mom and dad?” 

Sasuke frozen. The crackling of the fire seemed to get louder in the silence. Getting the feeling that he had intruded on private matters, Naruto felt his face redden.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“They’re dead.”

Sasuke’s voice was toneless. His face appeared to be relaxed and indifferent, but his eyes showed pain and anger. Naruto looked away, gazing instead at the orange glow being cast on the pool of water. Thinking it was better to stay silent for once, Naruto picked up another rock to play with.

“What about you? Who is Iruka?”

Sasuke’s sudden question startled the blond. After a few seconds, Naruto realized that Sasuke was waiting for an answer.

“Iruka? He’s my guardian. More like my father, really.”

“What about your parents?”

Sasuke knew he was asking for private information, but since he had revealed a secret of his own, then the dobe could do the same.

“They um…..” Naruto faltered. “They.....they were killed a long time ago.” 

The smaller man uncomfortably rubbed his neck. He didn’t know much about who his parents were, but their death always bothered him. Iruka had always told him that his parents loved him so much and would always love him. He genuinely cared for them, but not like he did Iruka. 

“Killed?” Sasuke’s voice was full of unbridled surprise. 

“Yea.”

Curiosity burning inside him, Sasuke wanted to ask how, but knew it was not his place. Instead, he reluctantly offered more information about himself.

“My mother died when I was younger. She had some illness that plagued her during her pregnancy with me and she passed away soon after I was born. My father used to tell me that I look a lot like her.”

Sasuke pushed the log backwards and laid down on the ground, crossing his hands behind his head. Naruto remained sitting with his legs crossed and staring into the fire. Smiling wistfully, he cocked his head slightly.

“Iruka used to tell me that I looked just like my dad, but have my mom’s attitude.”

Not knowing what to say, Sasuke simply kept silent and closed his eyes, soon falling asleep. The fire continued to snap and crackle, the flames reaching up to the sky. It was still relatively big, so no new sticks were added. Naruto felt his eyes begin to droop close. _I guess it’s time to go to sleep. I’ll just lay down here._ Yawning widely, he laid down beside Sasuke, just a couple of inches away. 

_The fire burned strongly, the electricity wires snapping and whipping back and forth. A loud groaning noise filled the air. Blinking, Naruto found himself back on the acrid inferno that was Plane 7. Coughing, he tried to see through the haze of orange and back, but to no avail. He called out for the teme that he did not see, but heard no response. Sweating profusely, he gingerly made his way to the head of the plane, stepping carefully over twisted bits of metal and strewn seats._

_Naruto._

_His head shooting up, he immediately noticed a dark shadow in the dark smoke. It was slowly making his way over to where Naruto was. Confused, Naruto called out to the figure. It simply repeated what it had said._

_Naruto._

_Slightly scared, Naruto braced himself as the silhouette came closer. The smoke seemed to clear as the figure stepped even closer. Shocked, Naruto saw that it was Iruka._

_Iruka, what are you doing here? It’s dangerous, we have to go!_

_Turning around, Naruto ran towards the planes door, confident that he and Iruka would be safe. Glancing back, he stopped cold when he saw that brown haired man was nowhere to be found. Fear spiking in him, Naruto desperately called out to his guardian. The cockpit of the plane once again erupted in violent, deadly flames. Iruka was standing in the middle of the plane, unmoving, a blank expression on his face. The flames licked at the seats around him, soon surrounding him. Terrified, Naruto screamed out his name and ran towards him. Pushing himself to run as fast as possible, Naruto realized it was useless. His legs were going in super slow motion and the flames had reached his guardian. Tears streaming down his face and his hand outstretched, he watched as the flames devoured his father figure. Falling to his knees, he faintly heard a voice much like Iruka’s say. “Naruto. Why are you such a nuisance? Nobody likes you. They are all mean to you. Follow me and it will all go away. Everything.”_

_His blood running cold he looked up to see that he was no longer on a plane, but in front a building. A building that he dreaded with every fiber of his being. The high, black gates surrounded the menacing structure seemed to tower above him. A small playground was in the yard, along with a sandbox, various donated kid’s toys, and a dilapidated gray mailbox. The rusty black gates slowly swung open with a screech. Noticing that he was moving towards the house, he glanced down and saw his own feet sluggishly walking towards it. Frantically, he tried to stop, but he couldn’t move his feet to follow his own will. Closing his eyes, he smelled something._

_Cinnamon._

_Eyes shooting open, he saw that he was in a dark forest. A white mist drifted under the trees, making the ground impossible to see. The moon was nowhere to be found, but its light shone through partings in the tree leaves. Hearing laughter, his head jerked back, just in time to see a familiar style of duckbutt hair disappear behind a tree. Running over to the tree, the laughter came again, this time to his side. Twisting around, he caught a glimpse of teme hair again, disappearing once more into the darkness. Frustrated, he ran after the shadow. Deeper and deeper he went. Soon, the moon light became sparse and faint. Stopping, he put his hand on a tree and tried to get his bearings. The laughter sounded behind him, this time full of malice and amusement. Slowly turning around, Naruto saw that Sasuke was standing behind him, his clothes burning intensely._

_Sasuke extended a hand, a cruel smile on his lips. The lips moved, but no sound came out._

_Nuisance._

_The word echoed in his mind. Clutching the sides of his head, Naruto yelled out. Eyes wide, he watched as Sasuke walked towards him. Hot flames engulfed him, burning._

Gasping awake, Naruto’s eyes shot open and wildly looked around. Breathing heavily, he blinked rapidly, trying to rid himself of the nightmare. His hair was soaked with perspiration and all his clothes felt damp. His heart was pounding furiously. Taking deep breaths, he soon calmed down. He turned slightly into his pillow and snuggled in, his hands shaking still. Smelling cinnamon, he froze. Lifting his head and fully realizing his body position, he saw that he had basically draped himself on Sasuke. His head was on Sasuke’s chest and his legs were intertwined with the bastards. His arm was around Sasuke’s waist. _How did this happen? I never do that, even if someone is with me._ Blushing, he carefully tried to detach himself, but something was stopping him. Glancing down, he saw that Sasuke’s arm was wrapped tightly around his hips, preventing him from moving. _I never pegged Sasuke as a snuggler._ A small voice in the back of his head spoke up: _maybe he likes to snuggle with you._ His face turning a bright red, he ignored the voice and gingerly removed the stubborn arm. 

Sitting up, he rubbed his face, the scratches itching. He was exhausted. Knowing he couldn’t go back to sleep, he looked at the fire. It was nearly dead. The ground around it was covered in soot. The remaining flames flickered weakly in the piles of ashes. The sky was black with small stars sprinkled around. It had gotten slightly cooler with the fire dying. Getting up, Naruto brought more sticks from the supply pile and added them. Sitting down near Sasuke, he saw the that the teme was still fast asleep. The flames cast gentle shadows on the pale skin. Sasuke’s face looked peaceful. _I’ve never seen the bastard without his mask on. He face is really beautiful. His mother would have been an absolute knock out. A small smile brushed Naruto’s lips. Too bad her son is a teme. A hot, competitive, and annoying teme. Who is most likely straight._ Sighing, Naruto gazed into the fire. After that nightmare, he knew he couldn’t go back to sleep. 

“Looks like I’m going to have to stay awake.”

Yawning, he looked to the sky, waiting for the sun.


	9. Bring the sad music

 

The entire room was dead silent. Only the slight whirring of the computers and the occasional beeps from the screens were heard. Itachi slowly turned to face the rest of the room. One by one, his eyes bore into every pair in the room. Straightening his tie, he walked to the door and picked up a black briefcase. Everyone in his way immediately stepped away.  
  
"I am leaving for three and a half days. When I return, I expect you to know the location and status of my little brother. If the piece of shit dares to call again, Nara, trace the call and get Kakashi on it. If Sasuke is found, use the private number I have. If not, don't you dare call me."  
  
Itachi opened the door and placed one foot out. Soft light spilled into the dark room, casting Itachi in a shadow. With his face in the darkness, his eyes seemed to glow a red-ish tinge. Turning his head back slightly, he paused.  
  
"You will not fail me."  
  
His tone was as cold as ice and as hard a steel. The eyes glittered with promises as he turned back and left, shutting the door behind him.  
  
Kakashi shoved his cigarette butt into an ashtray and exhaled. Rubbing his chin, he turned to Iruka.  
  
"This is going to be a long three days. We're going to have to work our asses off."  
  
Shikamaru glanced at him. "Don't you mean I'm going to have to work my ass off? How troublesome." Picking up his belongings, Shikamaru ambled over to the door. "Well I'm out. See you guys in a few hours." Giving Iruka a head nod, he opened it and stepped out. Choji stood up, chip bag in his hands.  
  
"I should probably leave too. We do need some sleep to function. Coming, Ino?"  
  
Ino grabbed her purse and went to follow him out the door. Waving good bye, she smiled at Iruka and gave him a tight hug. "We'll find your son, don't worry." She whispered in his ear.  
  
Swallowing, Iruka nodded lightly, his eyes prickling faintly. Refusing to shed a tear, he coughed and nodded more firmly. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Gai. Gai grinned at him and clapped his shoulder hard.  
  
"Do not fret my friend! Young Sasuke and Naruto have the power of youth on their side! With that, nothing can harm them!"  
  
Hugging an uncomfortable Iruka tightly, Gai soon followed the suit and left, leaving Iruka and Kakashi alone. Kakashi cocked his head and thoughtfully scratched his head.  
  
"Maa, Iruka?"  
  
Iruka yawned and glanced over at Kakashi. "Yes?"  
  
"Since this involves Naruto, and I highly doubt that you would leave this to us, where are you staying tonight? Do you live close by?"  
  
Iruka groaned. "Shit. No, I don't live close by. I live about three hours away."  
  
Kakashi blinked at him, his mismatched eyes looking at Iruka curiously.  
  
"What do you mean you live three hours away? Why were you at an airport so far away then?"  
  
Iruka sighed and sat down. "The only plane Naruto could ride to get close to my house is the one here. Since there was a storm, most airports had delayed and stopped the flights, but Naruto insisted that he wanted to be here as fast as possible. We were lucky-I guess not lucky now- to find an available flight that was running in the storm. It was more expensive than regular planes, too. Now that I think about it, it must have been because Sasuke was on it."  
  
"Going to your home and back here for three days is going to be a waste of gas and time. What are you going to do?"  
  
Sighing, Iruka licked his lips. "I'll have to rent a hotel room, I guess. Only problem is that I didn't bring money."  
  
Kakashi lit up at another chance to stay with the brunette. Putting on his most persuasive voice, he stood behind Iruka's chair and spoke softly into his ear.  
  
"Well, I could let you st-"  
  
Blushing at how close Kakashi was and his breath tickling Iruka's ear, Iruka shot out of the chair and stepped away, his back to Kakashi. His mouth suddenly feeling dry, he nervously licked his lips.  _Oh god, he smells amazing. Like something minty. Peppermint? Wintergreen? I don't know, but I want to keep smelling it…..  
_  
"No, no. You've already treated me to dinner and helped me out in more ways than one. You've done enough spending for me and I thank you. I'll figure out something, so you-"  
  
Kakashi had snuck behind the smaller man and placed a hand over Iruka's mouth. His fingers tingled as he placed them over the luscious lips and felt their softness and the warm breath ghosting between his digits.  
  
Still speaking softly, he continued to use his silken voice, putting an edge of command in it. He lightly brushed the shell of Iruka's ear with his lips, delighting in the way the smaller man shivered and attempted to step away again. The things I would do to those lips.  
  
"I insist that you stay at my place. There will be no money spent and it's the least I can do to help out. I refuse to take no for an answer, so let's go."  
  
Cheerfully, Kakashi stepped away and snatched up his own things, courteously opening the door for Iruka. Iruka glared at him, his cheeks red. Rolling his eyes, he agreed and grabbed his own things, following Kakashi to his car.  
  
Pulling out and getting on the roads, Kakashi smoothly drove towards his house. On the way, he explained to Iruka that he lived alone. And by alone, he meant with eight dogs.  
  
"What do you mean eight?! That's absurd! Why would you have so many?" Iruka asked incredulously.  
  
Kakashi shrugged and grinned. "I don't know; I like dogs. Do you?"  
  
"I like dogs just fine, but what are you? The dog equivalent to a crazy cat lady?"  
  
Kakashi laughed, his voice filling the car and infecting Iruka, causing him to laugh too.  
  
"Maybe." Kakashi chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischievousness.  
  
Iruka shook his head and leaned back. "So what are their names?  
  
"Well there's, Pakkun, Bull, Urushi , Shiba, Bisuke, Akino, Ūhei, and Guruko. But they aren't home right now. I've left them in dog motel for today and yesterday. Sasuke was supposed to come to my place and he's not too fond of them.  
  
"Why not? They aren't violent are they?"  
  
"No, they aren't. They just like him and don't understand personal boundaries."  
  
Driving into a dark neighborhood, Kakashi turned into the driveway of small house. Iruka was surprised. He was expecting something big and flashy.  
  
"Home, sweet, home. I don't usually have guests over, and I never do anything special for Sasuke, so pardon the mess."  
  
"Oh, no need to worry, I don't mind messes." Iruka smiled.  _With Naruto around, there are messes everywhere._  
  
Getting out of the car and opening the door, Kakashi turned on the hall light. Blinking in the sudden brightness, Iruka took in his surroundings. The white walls of the hall were surprisingly void of any family pictures, or even art pictures. They were bare. A door to the right lead to a bathroom and a door to the left was a small closet. Walking further down the hall, they came to a living room. A gray couch was sitting in front of a flat screen TV and had a black coffee table with a half full coffee cup between them. To the right was a loveseat with a small pillow. Turning to the left was the kitchen. Besides a few rudimentary kitchen items, it was clean and simple.  
  
Looking around, Iruka couldn't help but feel that something was missing. It was a home, but it didn't feel like a home. It felt lonely. Rubbing his nose nervously, he picked up a faint smell of dog and something minty.  
  
"I'd love to give you a tour, but I'm exhausted and I bet you feel that way too. Come on, the bedroom's this way. "  
  
Ears turning red at the double meaning of Kakashi's statement, Iruka set his laptop and coat down and followed the taller man up the stairs. Opening a door, Kakashi stepped back to let Iruka in. In the bedroom, there was a large bed with gray sheets. Around the bed were small black tables with lamps and different colored books on them. A door to the left went to the master bathroom. To the right of the bed there were tall window doors leading to a small balcony. The doors were partially covered with a gray curtain, allowing small traces of moonlight to leak through. The feeling of loneliness Iruka had felt downstairs seemed to be magnified in this room.  
  
Kakashi walked over to a closet and began to pull out towels. Then he walked over to a dresser and pulled out an old shirt and some pajama bottoms. Handing a towel and the set of clothes to Iruka, he nodded to the bathroom.  
  
"You can take a shower first. These are too small for me, so I'm guessing they might fit you. The soaps on the soap handle and the shampoo bottles are somewhere. Find them, you can use them."  
  
Kakashi then left the room, his footsteps fading down the stairs.  
  
"Okay, thanks." Iruka called out. Hearing no response, he stepped into the bathroom. It was more lavish than the rest of the house. The stall tiles were an emerald green and beautiful gold color that glistened in the lights. The clear glass door was slightly ajar. A large mirror was on the inside of the stall, opposite the shower head, with the edges matching the stall. His mind not registering the mirror, Iruka closed the door, removed his hair band, and shed his clothes.  
  
Placing the new set on the counter, he stepped into the shower stall and fiddled with the water temperature. Getting it nice and steamy, he closed his eyes and let out a small groan as his tense shoulders relaxed under the hot spray of water. Stretching slightly, he opened his eyes and was shocked to see the mirror. It gave him a full view of his entire tan body, the image becoming foggy as it steamed up. Reads porn in public areas and has a full length mirror in his bathroom. Good god, this man is a perv. At least he's nice. Anyway, time to wash up.  
  
Glancing around, he found the soap and lathered up a loofa. Scrubbing his skin, he inhaled and realized that this was what smelled minty. Kakashi's body soap. Breathing in deep, he found that he enjoyed the smell of mint. Smiling slightly, he continued scrubbing and soon washed it off. Finding no shampoo, he used the body soap as a substitute. Humming faintly, he stopped when he heard the bathroom door open. Eyes widening, he tried to see through the steam up stall door, but couldn't without exposing himself.  
  
"Kakashi? Is that you?" If you dare come in here, I'll kill you.  
  
"Yeah it's me. I'm here to pick up your clothes and put them in the laundry."  
  
Hearing the voice drift closer, Iruka's face turned red as he tried to distance himself from the stall door.  
  
"Oh, I left them on the floor by the counter." Gripping the loofa tightly, he placed his hand in front of his groin. He shivered at the thought of the taller man stepping in to take a shower with him.  _No, that cannot and will not happen. I'm only here for Naruto, not for a one night fling._  
  
"Kay, I got them." Stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door behind him, Kakashi grinned. Although he could not see clearly, he did manage to get an eyeful of delicious tan skin. _Too bad it didn't look like he wanted some company. I would have gladly obliged._  
  
Hearing the door close, Iruka sighed. I can admit that I'm attracted to him, but I refuse to act on it. I do have some pride and respect. Finishing up, he made sure that the door looked entirely closed before he stepped out. Wrapping a towel around his hips, he used a smaller one to dry his hair. Dressing fast, he put on the clothes that were a tad too big for him. Choosing to wear his hair down, he hung the damp towels to dry and stepped out. Kakashi was fixing the bed.  
  
Iruka awkwardly stood there watching him. "So…. where am I sleeping? I can sleep on the floor, if you want, I mean, it's not a big de-"  
  
"Nope, nobody's sleeping on the floor. Unless you wish to wake up covered in dog hairs, you're sleeping in this bed. Now, I'm off to shower. Just make yourself comfortable."  
  
Stepping away, Kakashi went into the bathroom and quickly stripped, his clothes thrown off carelessly. Iruka listened as he heard the shower head start and made his way to the bed. Slipping in, he realized that the bed was a heaven. The mattress was not too hard and not too soft, but just right. It was just slightly bouncy. The pillows were plushy and cool. Settling in comfortably, he inhaled deeply again, the smell of mint drifting into his nose. Hearing the water stop, he curiously watched the bathroom door. His eyes widened as watched. Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom scrubbing his hair with a small towel. He had only had on a small pair of nearly skin tight deep purple boxers, his mask, and was walking towards the bed. Iruka's mouth dropped open slightly at the view of all that sinewy, lean, muscles and pale skin. Water droplets still clung to him, slowly rolling down the tall body.  
  
Wearing a wolfish grin, Kakashi pulled back the sheets and climbed into the bed. Iruka managed to snap out of his trance and blink owlishly.  
  
"Wait, we are sharing a bed?! What?"  
  
Settling in and scooting closer to the shocked brunette, Kakashi shrugged.  
  
"I only have one actual bed in my house. The other rooms have….other things. Besides, it's my house and I'm not sleeping on the floor. You're my guest and you're not sleeping on the floor. Solution? Sleep together."  
  
Iruka tried to find a valid argument to counter with, but could not think of one. He then pouted and lay back, rolling over to the edge, away from Kakashi. The lights went out and the room was enveloped in darkness. Moon slipped past the curtains and slowly lit up the room.  
  
Iruka desperately tied to sleep, but couldn't. He was too worried and his mind kept playing scenarios he did not want to see. He opened his eyes and looked around. A clock on a dresser told him that it was nearly five in the morning. Looking to his side, Kakashi had his back to him and was breathing slowly. He's probably asleep. Like I should be, but can't. Dammit Naruto, you better be okay.  
  
"Can't sleep?"  
  
Slightly startled, Iruka had not been expecting Kakashi to be awake. Sighing, he answered.  
  
"No, I can't. I'm too worried. Why aren't you asleep?"  
  
"The twerp has been on my mind, so I'm mildly worried." Kakashi turned and lay on his back, crossing his hands behind his head. Iruka could lightly make out his face, mask and all. From his side, Iruka could see the odd red eye looking straight ahead. The slender jaw line appeared to be slightly clenched.  
  
"Do you honestly think they're alright?"  
  
"I can't say for sure, but I'm positive that they're probably in some foreign airport just waiting for us to find them or maybe some tropical paradise."  
  
"Sounds a lot better than what I was thinking."  
  
"Hey Iruka."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You said that you were Naruto's guardian. I assume his parents have passed away?"  
  
Iruka felt a small pang of sadness as he thought of his old best friends. The memory of them still hurt.  
  
"Yes, a long time ago."  
  
"How did you find Naruto? I mean, I became Sasuke's godfather shortly after his birth and took custody of him after the death of his father."  
  
"I was put as his guardian in case something happened."  
  
"…Do you ever regret it? Your decision to keep Naruto? " Kakashi turned to gaze at Iruka, his eyes searching. "When Sasuke came under my responsibility, I felt completely overwhelmed and at times would wish Itachi would just take him off my hands."  
  
Iruka shook his head. "No, not really. When I decided to keep him, the decision was easy."  
  
"Why, what happened?"  
  
"Well, it was raining and ….  
  
 **~Flashback~**  
  
Iruka smiled at the guests. It was a sad smile, one of pain, loss, and acceptance. It helped mask the grief and despair raging inside him. Two of his closest friends had passed away. They had been a wonderful couple, full of life and excitement, never standing still. Now, they were statues. Cold statues lying in coffins. The funeral director had had them places side by side, the caskets closed. Pictures of their life were placed around them, demonstrating how different they were now. Minato and Kushina Uzumaki had once been a vivacious couple, helping Iruka out when his life turned dark. Their death was a tragic one, an accident. In its wake, it left a now orphaned child. Iruka politely smiled at all of the friends that came to visit. Although they had many friends, Iruka had been the closest and had been the one to offer to take care of the funeral arrangements.  
  
Gazing around the room, his eyes swept over a sea of black and gray. Among the darkness, there was an old lady dressed in a light gray, almost white, dress with a cane, and her hair up in a bun with tassels. Koharu Utatane. She was the head of the orphanage that took in the deceased couple's son, Naruto. Having seen the child only in photographs, Iruka was curious to see him. Knowing how it was to be an orphan, Iruka pitied the child and felt responsible for him. Making his way over to Koharu, he tapped on her shoulder. She turned around at the contact and gave Iruka a once over. Iruka nodded his head in greeting and rubbed his scar nervously. The woman was intimidating.  
  
"Ah, Iruka. I was wondering where you were. Be a dear and get me some lemonade?"  
  
She shoved her glass at him and went to walk away. Iruka quickly stepped in her path and stopped her.  
  
"Mrs. Utatane, I was wondering. Where is Naruto?"  
  
Koharu stared at him, confusion in her face.  
  
"Who?"  
  
Iruka licked his lips in annoyance and spoke a bit firmer.  
  
"Naruto. Kushina's son. I was wondering how he was doing. Is he okay?"  
  
Realization dawned on her face. Lip curling in disgust, she scoffed. Brushing her gray suit's lapels, she frowned.  
  
"The monster child? You want to know how that little thing is doing?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Don't waste your time. All he has done is cost me trouble. Such a nuisance."  
  
Iruka stared at her, shocked.  _Naruto was trouble? Kushina had always described him as an absolute sweetheart. This doesn't seem right. Maybe the death of his parents had affected him severely._  
  
"What has he done?"  
  
"All he does is get into fights with the other kids and is always clowning around. He can't even keep up in school. Face it; he's just a lost cause. No need to worry about him, my dear. Life has a way of ridding itself of those kinds of nuisances."  
  
Eyes narrowing in anger, Iruka frowned at her.  _No child is a lost cause. How could you judge an innocent child like that? Simply learning different from others is in no way a bad thing. He mostly likely is acting out of confusion and fear. He's a nuisance? I don't believe that one bit. He's only four years old.  
_  
"Koharu," he said firmly, "where is he?"  
  
"Oh, Iruka. He's probably somewhere around here. Probably has his nice suit ruined by now. Such a dirty child. I simply cannot wait for the day that he is old enough to leave. Lord knows no one will want a demon child. Now if you'll excuse me, I must speak to someone."  
  
Iruka watched as she left him and walked away. Scowling, he shook his head and went to look for Naruto. As he searched, the somber atmosphere began to drain his anger, replacing it with sorrow. Walking into an empty room, he paused to bow his head and to take deep breaths, pushing his grief to a manageable level. Hearing a small sniff, his head popped up and searched for the sound. A rectangular table was sitting in the far corner of room. The table had an assortment of finger foods and a long white tablecloth that brushed the ground. Peeking out from under the table cloth was a small pair of shoes. Curiously, he stepped towards them, his shoes creating a tapping noise on the floor. Upon hearing the noise, the small feet seemed to invert, shuffling back and trying to get smaller. Iruka stopped walking and cocked his head. Is this?...  
  
"Naruto?" he called out softly.  
  
The sniffing increased and he got no response. Stepping closer, he gently stopped in front of the shoes and lifted the cloth. Coming into his view was a beautiful boy with giant sad blue eyes. Small spikey wisps of blond hair gave him a halo like appearance and his dark suit was disheveled. His sapphire eyes were wide with unspilt tears, showing pain a child should not know. His chin was wrinkled as he desperately tried to hold in sobs. Naruto was huddled into himself, trying to be invisible. His hands were wrapped around his knees and occasionally let them go to wipe his face messily. Iruka felt his heart clench painfully as he watched the small boy. He felt his soul call out to Naruto, trying to stop him from his silent weeping.  
  
"Naruto?"  
  
Iruka extended his hand out to the tiny boy and was relieved to see that Naruto did not shy away. The blue pools were watching him with confusion and fear. Large tears slowly leaked out of the corners of his eyes. Iruka swallowed and kept edging closer.  
  
"Come, stop your crying," he whispered, "it will be alright."  
  
Naruto sniffed and slowly brought up a tiny hand to reach for Iruka's. He used the other to wipe at his cheeks with a fist. Iruka smiled and securely held the hand in his.  
  
"Just take my hand, hold it tight."  
  
He gently pulled Naruto out from under the table and cradled him. Rocking him soothingly, he felt as Naruto buried his face in is shirt and felt the small body shake with quiet sobs. Feeling a strong paternal instinct he never knew he had risen within him, Iruka knew that the small boy was terrified. His parents were gone and he was left alone with someone who deemed him a monster. He was scared.  
  
"I will protect you from those all around you."  
  
Iruka nuzzled the blond spikes under his chin as he pressed Naruto to his chest tightly.  
  
"I will be here, don't you cry."  
  
The tiny boy slowly began to cease crying and his breath evened out. After a while, Iruka peeped down at him and saw that he had fallen asleep; the tears not yet dry on his face. His little hands still clutched Iruka's suit jacket. He found himself smiling at the small angelic face.  
  
"Iruka? Did yo-…is that the little monster? You found it?"  
  
Iruka turned to see a Koharu standing in the doorway with her purse and cane in each hand and glaring at Naruto. Iruka protectively shifted Naruto out of her line of vision and curtly answered her.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well I was going to ask where my lemonade was, but it's time for me to go. Wake him up and give him here." She walked towards Iruka, her hands extended. Iruka frowned in indecision. Looking down at the little angel in his arms, he realized he didn't want to let him go. Throat dry, he tried to answer.  
  
"..I.."  
  
Koharu rudely shoved Naruto awake, almost pushing him out of Iruka's arms. Naruto sleepily blinked and yawned. Rubbing his eyes, he looking over and his face went pale.  
  
"Come here, nuisance, time to go." Koharu rapped her cane on the floor sharply.  
  
Iruka felt the small hands tighten on his jacket and heard a whispered, "No". Eyes narrowing, Koharu scowled.  
  
"What did you saw you little brat?! Come here now!"  
  
Iruka lifted his head and stared at Koharu right in the eyes. Shifting Naruto to his hip, he anchored the tiny boy with his arm.  
  
"No. He will be staying with me."  
  
Koharu looked at Iruka, an incredulous look on her face.  
  
"Iruka, what on earth are you talking about? Just hand him here."  
  
"No. I said he will be staying with me. I want him."  
  
"Obviously, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Even if Kushina and Minato left you as the guardian in case of drastic emergencies, you're too young and naïve to be fully responsible for him."  
  
"I have a perfectly good idea what I'm doing, thank you. I wish to use my status as the boy's guardian to take responsibility over him and raise him."  
  
Naruto's eyes darted back and forth, not understanding what was happening. The man that seemed really nice was about to give him to the mean lady, but now was not letting him go. He liked the nice man; he didn't hit him and didn't tell him mean things. Nervously, he clung to the nice man.  
  
"Now, if you will, we seem to have some paperwork to have to do. Lead the way."  
  
Koharu stared at Iruka, shocked that he would have the audacity to speak to her like that and that he would willingly want the monster child. Mouth open in shock, she quietly turned and went to get the necessary papers from her briefcase, papers she never believed she would use.  
  
 **-End of flashback-**  
  
"Then after that, all I did was sign the papers and he was mine."  
  
Iruka yawned, his eyes drooping shut. After explaining to Kakashi how he got Naruto, his sleepiness had increased.  
  
Kakashi lifted both eyebrows. "Sounds like this Koharu lady was a bitch."  
  
"Understatement of the year." Iruka mumbled. He placed a hand under his pillow and closed his eyes.  
  
"Maybe later I'll tell you how I got Sasuke. You sleepy yet?" Kakashi shifted around, now facing Iruka. He watched the worry lines on Iruka's face slowly begin to smooth out. Shit, he's had a long day. Hmm, I wonder how he got that scar..  
  
"That would be….nice. No, not ….sleepy yet.." Iruka felt the call of his unconscious leading him to sweet, dreamless sleep.  
  
"That's too bad. Well, night."

  
Iruka smiled slightly and leaned into the warmth that had drawn near. Breathing in a minty smell, he drifted into the world of sleep. "…..Night…"


	10. If you build it, they will come

Naruto watched as the sky slowly began to lighten up. The black of night receded and allowed the rays of sun to turn the black into a light blue. Small clouds drifted by now and then. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned sleepily. Poking at the fire with another stick, his stomach growled. Surprised, he glanced down at his abdomen.  _Huh, it doesn't seem like much time has passed since I ate. But then again, that night seemed to last forever._  Hearing movement beside him, he turned to see Sasuke slowly waking up, squinting in the sunlight.  
  
"Mornin' teme."  
  
Sasuke yawned and rubbed his face. Mumbling a "hello", he got up and went over to a tree. Naruto watched him curiously, but turned away blushing when he saw the bastard peeing. Standing up, he wandered over to the pool of water and picked up his spear. Sasuke came back and followed suit.  
  
"You know," Naruto started, "If fish is all were going to be eating for however long were going to be here, I'm going to get sick of it."  
  
Sasuke internally rolled his eyes. "And what, pray tell, is there to eat besides fish? Bugs? If you want, you can. Many insects are actually edible and full of protein."  
  
Naruto made a face. "No, I think I'll stick to fish. How the hell do you know what bugs are full of? Do you eat them?"  
  
Sasuke stared at him.  _The dobe looks different. He looks kind of tired. Oh well, not my problem_. Not bothering to respond, he stabbed his spear down and caught a fish. Picking it off, he tossed it to the side and quickly caught another.  
  
Naruto managed to trap one between two rocks and missed. Rubbing his eyes with a fist, he shook his head and squinted, trying to focus.  _Shit, everything seems kind of blurry. It's probably because I didn't sleep. And I can't seem to stop yawning._ Successfully catching a medium sized fish that was snacking on the underwater plants, he proudly tossed it next to Sasuke's catch. Sasuke glanced at it and shrugged. He wasn't impressed. Rolling his eyes, Naruto turned back to his task. After a while, they both had a decent amount of food and went back to the fire. Polishing off the fish, Naruto stretched in the sun, the warm rays making him feel giddy and ready for some fun. Oblivious to the fact the Sasuke was watching him like a hawk, he continued stretching, focusing on his leg's flexibility. After he was done, he turned around in time to see Sasuke's head whip away. Grinning, he strode over to the raven.  
  
"Oi Sasuke. How long do you think we're going to be here?"  
  
"Long enough that we're going to need some sort of shelter. Now, since it's early, we can get a good start on one before the sun sets again. The best place to make them is probably here." Sasuke walked over to a shaded area by the edge of the clearing. "The trees provide protection and if we add some leaves and branches here, we can have something sturdy."  
  
Naruto frowned.  _There goes that bastard, taking control again. That spot looks shitty. It would be better to have it more towards the water, right?_  "Teme, you sure that's a good spot shouldn't it be-"  
  
"Of course it's a good spot. Why would I choose a bad one? Now come on, we have to find materials."  
  
Sasuke walked over to the edge of the clearing and marched in, not bothering to stop for Naruto. Naruto yawned.  _Sasuke is sure different when he is asleep than when he is awake. Maybe because his mouth isn't open and saying asshole-ish things._ Sniggering, Naruto followed the raven into the jungle. Catching up, he placed his hands behind his head and followed lazily.  
  
"So what kind of supplies are we looking for?"  
  
"First, we are heading back to crash site to see if there is anything we can salvage. Then, we come back and decide how the shelter is going to be. Lastly, we build it."  
  
"Okay, sounds good."  
  
Making their way through the thick foliage, they walked for around for a while before finding the site. It looked exactly the same as it did last time. Kicking debris around, Naruto made his way to what used to be the plane's luggage storage area. Shifting though the rubble, he couldn't find anything he deemed salvage able. Giving up, he turned back to Sasuke who was inspecting pieces of plane's walls and some loose seats.  
  
"Hey Sasuke, I can't find anything worth saving. All of it is just useless."  
  
"Hn. Speak for yourself. The plane's walls are made up of reinforced carbon fiber, making it extremely durable. It's perfect for some protection against the elements."   
  
Tugging it out of the ground, Sasuke pulled it free and began to collect several pieces. Jealous that Sasuke found something useful, Naruto renewed his efforts to find something. Mumbling to himself, he pushed a charred seat over and saw something halfway buried in the dirt. Curiously, he bent over and yanked it out. It was a basketball with a hole in the top. Grinning, he held it up and dusted it off.  _Awesome! Now I have something to do! …that hole though…I should probably patch it up._  
  
"Dobe, I'm leaving. You coming?"  
  
"Oi teme, look what I found!"  
  
Proudly displaying his find, Naruto took it over to Sasuke. The raven merely looked at it and looked back at Naruto. Raising an eyebrow, he tilted his head slightly.  
  
"A torn basketball. This is what you want to keep?"  
  
Naruto protectively hugged the ball. "Don't be mean, all I have to do is stuff the hole with something and it will be as good as new!"  
  
"Hn." Sasuke turned around and continued walking while dragging the pieces of plane with him.  _If this is what he chooses to take, I'm curious as to what he plans to do to build the shelter. He's utterly hopeless._  
  
Back at camp, Sasuke dumped his pieces of plane over at his chosen spot and dusted his hands off. Standing back, he thoughtfully "Hn-ed" and cocked his head. Going over to a tree, he yanked down some vines that had been hanging and dropped them by the pieces. He then went over to a large plant and pulled off some fronds. Bringing those over, he placed them next to the other objects.  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto had attempted to fix the basketball. Stuffing large palm fronds inside, he struggled to make them fit. After much stuffing, he stopped and looked at his handiwork. The basketball now had nine large palm frond spikes sticking out of the hole. Pleased with the outcome, Naruto set it down and placed it on the floor. Taking his hand off of it, he saw that he left a black handprint on the surface. "Huh. I wonder how I did that. I don't have any paint…Oh! The soot from that chair! It must have stuck to my hand and then transferred to the ball. ….Kinda looks like a face…..I know!" Taking the edge of his shirt, he tried to rub off some of the soot, but it was stuck. He did manage to clean up several spots. "There, now it looks more like a face. And now to name you….umm….Kyuubi! That's your name!"  
  
Speaking out loud, he held the ball up as if it were Simba. "I dub thee, Kyuubi!" Hearing the sound of something that sounded like a hand meeting a face, he picked up the newly christened ball and carefully placed it in a more secure spot. Dusting off his hands, he nodded to himself and walked over to where Sasuke was. The raven was sitting on the floor tying vines together with an odd red mark on his forehead.  
  
"So, how do we do this?"  
  
"Well if you're done being a moron, we need to tie these vines together and then use them to secure the walls of the shelter. See the two branches there? They are parallel to the ground, making them perfect to use. One of the pieces of plane is going go on top of them to create a roof. Here, start tying these together." Sasuke thrust several vines at Naruto and he began to use other vines to tie the palm fronds to each other. Naruto pouted at being told what to do. Sitting down, he attempted to do what he had been asked to do. Finishing, he stood up and presented them to Sasuke.  
  
"Look, I finished!"  
  
Sasuke glanced at them. He reached over and pulled a loose end and the entire rope Naruto had made fell apart.  
  
"This needs to be more sturdy and durable. Do it again."  
  
Irritated, Naruto resumed his work and finished again. Repeating the process, he took it over to Sasuke. Sasuke inspected it and this time pulled on the rope. It snapped easily.  
  
"You need to reinforce it better. Do it again."  
  
Gritting his teeth, Naruto plopped down and furiously began to make a thicker rope. Griping under his breath, he braided the vines together and carefully knotted them. Once again finishing, he almost threw it at Sasuke.  
  
"Done."  
  
Sasuke stared at the rope. "You made it too thick. How are we going to use it if it's too thick? Untie them and do it right. You're wasting time."  
  
Naruto snapped and threw the rope on the ground. "That's it, if you want it done, then do it yourself. Build your own damn shelter and I'll build mine!" Stalking over to what he deemed his side of the clearing, Naruto picked a spot were the pool of water was closer to the jungle. Picking up Kyuubi, he stomped over to his chosen spot and put the ball down. "Mine will be way better than yours and it will be over here."  
  
Sasuke almost snorted. Almost. "Do you really want to engage me in another inane competition that I will undoubtedly win?"  
  
"Bastard, you won't be so cocky when I make you eat those words!"  
  
Sasuke smirked. "Like you could."  
  
Naruto's face turned bright red, his fists clenching. "You bet your sweet ass I can! My shelter will kick your shelter's ass!"  
  
"I bet  _your_ sweet ass that you'll come crawling back over here when you fail."  
  
"Oh, you've done it. This means war, teme!"  
  
"Hn."  
  
Growling, Naruto strode over to his spot and immediately began to pull vines from the trees around him. Rubbing his tired eyes, he tried to concentrate on his task. He looked over at Kyubbi and began to talk to it.  
  
"If the bastard thinks he can beat me, he is sorely mistaken. Stupid, condescending teme. Where the hell does he get off telling me what to do or that I can't do something right? I'll show him. What do you think Kyuubi? I can beat him, right?!  
  
"…"  
  
"Yeah, that's right. This is the perfect chance to show him that I can be better than him! I'll make the best damn shelter he's ever seen. I'll make a mini mansion shelter, complete with monkey butlers! Kyuubi! Find the monkey butlers!"  
  
"…"  
  
"….right, I guess I'll do it later. Sorry, forgot you didn't have legs."  
  
The sound of another slap was heard in the distance, this time louder.  
  
 **oOo-Kakashi's house-oOo**  
  
Iruka woke up to the sound of pages flipping and warmth against his face. Cracking his eyes, he got a face full of pale skin. Confused and sleepy, he opened his eyes wider and blinked. His face was apparently plastered against Kakashi's ribcage while Kakashi was lazily flipping through his orange book. His arm was splayed across Kakashi's chest and his lekgs were tangled with the silver-haired man's. Swallowing, he felt his entire face immediately burn red and his heart began to thump furiously at the feel of their bodies touching. Iruka needed to get away fast.  _Okay, he hasn't noticed that I'm awake yet. Maybe I can roll away while pretending I'm asleep. I'll then casually wake up and get out of here. Alright, here goes nothing.  
_  
Iruka closed his eyes and evened his breath. Getting ready to move, he felt something lightly brush his shoulder blades. Iruka froze. Kakashi's left arm was slowly running across his back, tickling him. The taller man appeared to be completely engrossed in his reading, but his fingers were stroking Iruka's sensitive spot; right between his shoulder blades. Resisting the urge to moan, Iruka bit his lip and shivered slightly as the nails gently scraped across the spot, raising goosebumps on Iruka's arms. Willing his body not to move, he tensed up as the fingers began to move lower. The fingers then changed objective and began to trace along his spine.  _If this keeps up, I won't be able to stay quiet. It's now or never!_  
  
Mumbling, Iruka detached himself from his precarious position and rolled away, making sure to dislodge the arm that had been tickling him. He made sleep noises and squirmed back to his side. Settling down, he began to count the seconds until he would 'wake up'. Smiling into his pillow, he was proud of his flawless plan.  
  
"Maa Iruka, you've got to be the worst fake sleeper ever. I know you're awake."  
  
Kakashi was amused as he watched Iruka pretend to roll over. He had known the brunette was awake from the moment before he began to stroke his back. He had woken up to find Iruka attached to him and he found it endearing. He hadn't wanted to wake the shorter man up so he had just begun to read Make-Out Tactics while he waited. It had been strangely comforting having Iruka there. Waking up alone was something he was used to, but having another person there was enjoyable.  
  
Iruka was drowning in embarrassment. Not one to give up, he continued his charade and didn't answer. Kakashi grinned. Putting down his book, he sat up and stretched, his joints lightly popping.  
  
"Okay, I'll play along. I'm gonna go make some coffee, and you can conveniently wake up when I come back."  
  
Scratching his chest, he climbed out of bed and went over to the window. Thrusting the drapes apart, he let the warm sunlight infiltrate the room and light it up. Tugging his mask off, he sauntered out of the room and closed the door. Ambling over to his hallway and down the slightly squeaky stairs, he hummed to himself as he continued to stretch. Opening his cabinets, he pulled out two coffee cups and turned on his coffee maker.  
  
Upstairs, Iruka could hear Kakashi's footsteps in his kitchen.  _God, that was embarrassing. I need to get out of bed and back into my clothes._  Bolting out of bed, he went to the bathroom and tried to find his clothes. Glancing around, all he saw were Kakashi's clothes. Remembering that Kakashi had taken his, he groaned and went back into the bedroom, absentmindedly tugging on his hair. Having no clue what to do, he settled for fixing the sheets and tidying up. Sitting his side of the bed, he fiddled with sheets as he waited.  _Wait, why am I waiting? I don't have to stay here until he says. I'm a grown man; I can do what I want. I'm going downstairs._  
  
Marching over to the door with his nose turned up, he yanked open the door and almost walked into a solid wall of chest. Kakashi had come back up the stairs and brought with him two coffee cups filled to the brim. A tantalizing aroma wafted from the cups and into Iruka's nose. Kakashi held up a cup.  
  
"Oh. You're awake now." He grinned mischievously. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
His mismatched eyes were filled with amusement as he watched the brunette blush. Iruka took the cup and inhaled deeply. Smiling, he brought the cup to his mouth and sipped it.  
  
"I slept fine, thank you. Just woke up, actually."  
  
Iruka stretched and shook his head slightly, giving the illusion that he had indeed just woken up. Drinking more coffee, he looked away from Kakashi's piercing eyes, only to find that the man still hadn't put on clothes. Immediately looking away and his face feeling warm, he stared at his feet.  
  
"Oh really? Well then, how does breakfast sound?"  
  
Iruka's stomach chose then to growl loudly. "Umm, yes, breakfast sounds good."  
  
"Okay, where do you want to go?" Kakashi held up a hand. "And before you start on the money talk, you can just pay me back when we get the boys home. Deal?"  
  
Iruka reluctantly agreed. "But wait, why are we going out to eat? Breakfast at home is much more gratifying."  
  
Kakashi raked his hand through his gravity-defying hair and gave Iruka a lopsided grin. "I have no idea how to cook besides some instant ramen. Besides, since Sasuke was coming, I expected to be eating out a lot, so the kitchen is sadly lacking in stock."  
  
Iruka frowned faintly. "You can't be that bad. Pancakes are incredibly simple." He then smiled sadly. "Naruto loves ramen."  
  
Feeling the cheerfulness in atmosphere darken, Kakashi immediately tried to change the conversation.  
  
"Then when he gets back, I'll cook us all some ramen. I disagree, pancakes are difficult. They burn easily and if you're not careful, you end up eating one that wasn't cooked right."  
  
"Well, the pancakes I make are easy and delicious."  
  
"But the kitchen is empty, so looks like it's time to go to IHOP."  
  
Iruka lifted an eyebrow and regarded the silver-haired man. "You must have something. I bet I can make something out of what you have."  
  
"Is that a challenge I hear? Okay, be my guest and try."  
  
"I'm already your guest and I won't try, I'll win."  
  
Holding his head high, Iruka marched out of the bedroom and headed over to the stairs. Kakashi watched him go, an amused look on his face. Hmm he's feisty in the morning. I like it. Now to see if he can be put up to the cooking test. Downing the last of his coffee, Kakashi trailed after the brunette.  
  
 **~xXx~**  
  
"You weren't kidding; the refrigerator is basically empty. Have you been eating out every day? For breakfast, lunch, and dinner?"  
  
"Hmm, yes. Pretty much."  
  
Iruka gazed into the vacant fridge, an incredulous look on his face. Besides some eggs, orange juice, milk, and a few sticks of butter, it was empty.  
  
"That has to be exceedingly unhealthy." He turned his head and stared at the taller man. "And this coming from a man that raised a child?"  
  
Kakashi observed the fridge over Iruka's shoulder. Shrugging, he rubbed his chin.  
  
"Sasuke never minded and he eventually learned to cook. He's fed us both on multiple occasions."  
  
Shaking his head, Iruka inspected the food cabinets and searched for some flour and a bowl. Finding a bag of flour and a medium sized mixing bowl, he pulled them out and set them on the table.  
  
"Well, it'll be a stretch, but I can do it. Get ready to have a great home-style breakfast."  
  
Kakashi tilted his head and nodded. "I look forward to it. Let's get started shall we?"  
  
"But, first things first. Go put clothes on."  
  
Kakashi glanced down at his body and noticed his lack of clothing along with the slight red tinge on the shorter man's face. Grinning cheerfully, he placed a hand behind his back and another on his chest bowed down.  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
Winking, he whistled and exited the kitchen, making his way to the second floor. Iruka watched him leave, chuckling and rubbing his scar.  _He's like a child. A grown-up child with a five o'clock shadow, a body of a model, and startlingly intense eyes._ Turning back to his task and rolled up his sleeves. Humming, he washed his hands and opened the fridge, taking out the milk, eggs, and butter. Cracking them into the bowl, he poured in the flour.  
  
Kakashi soon sauntered back into the kitchen, this time wearing a black shirt with a ball on the front and dark jeans. Iruka turned around when he heard footsteps and cocked his head. With a spatula in his hand, he pointed at Kakashi's shirt.  
  
"Is that a Pokéball on your shirt?"  
  
The taller man shrugged. "I haven't done laundry in a while. Besides, it fits."  
  
"So you have a shirt with a children's show logo on it?"  
  
"I was a birthday gift. What, didn't Naruto ever watch Pokémon?"  
  
"Actually, he did. His favorite one was …..Ummmm… Oh! It was the Ninetails! In the games, he would always have a Ninetails and a Vulpix on his team."  
  
Nodding his head in agreement, Kakashi sat down at the table. "Sasuke used to watch it. It was before he got caught up in the family business. His favorites were the Luxray and Seviper. That's about all I know about the show."  
  
"Same here."  
  
Iruka turned back to the table and mixed the ingredients in the bowl. Aware, that Kakashi was staring at him, he licked his lips nervously and tried to concentrate on his task.  
  
"So do you need any help? As horrible as I am at creating food, I'll lend you a hand."  
  
Iruka shook his head. "Nope. You sit down and let me do it. It's the least I can do."  
  
Kakashi pulled out a chair from the small kitchen and sat backwards on it, His arms resting on the back of the chair. Pulling a book out of somewhere, he flipped to the last page he had been on.  
  
Glancing up occasionally, he suddenly noticed the bag of flour sitting on the counter. Snapping his book shut, he grinned evilly and stood up.  _Maybe, I can help by using this flour…._


	11. Welcome to Chip 'n Dales

Sasuke gritted his teeth, as he pulled the vines as tight as he could. Standing up, he brushed sand from his pants and inspected the net he created. _This will help keep the palm fronds together and protect against rain and sunlight. Now, to tie this to the branches and secure it._ Sasuke took his net and tossed it over the tree branches parallel to the ground. The branches were around half a foot taller than him and were perfect for creating a sort of roof. Grabbing the loose ends, he glanced over at the dobe. _He’s been sitting there talking to that ball. This is going to be another easy win._ Smirking, he turned back and knotted the loose ends to the branches, creating a taunt, netted roof.

Naruto had been tying branches together. _Okay, now this one is done. I’ll be like an Indian! My teepee will be awesome!_ Humming, he propped the newly tied branches up, creating a sort of triangle shape. Branches of all sizes were strewn around him. Biting off a length of vine, he gagged at the sour taste and spit out the small chunks in his mouth. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he used the length he bit off to tie several branches of similar size together and add them to the others. Rubbing his eyes as he felt slightly dizzy, he shook it off and continued his work. Turning to his side, he looked over at his spherical friend.

“Oi, Kyuubi. This is exciting, right? I mean, it’s kinda like a game. A game that I will obviously win. Don’t worry, when we win, the bastard has to apologize. And if he wants to come over, he has to be my slave for the day.”

Snickering, Naruto grabbed more branches. “Look at him. He’s making nets. Just goes to show that he has no clue what he is doing.”

Sasuke’s ears perked up when he heard the word ‘bastard’. Unbeknownst to Naruto, everything he said could be heard by said bastard. His back stiffening, he glared over at the blond. _Is the dobe talking about me, to that ball?_ Naruto was still messing around with branches and chatting away to Kyuubi. _What the hell kind of name is Kyuubi anyways? It sounds stupid. It fits everything he’s done so far, so I shouldn’t be too surprised._ Smirking, he thought of his imminent victory. _If the dobe thinks he’ll make me his slave, he’s sorely mistaken. He’ll be my slave and have to do whatever I say._ A light blush appeared on his face as his brain began to show him images of Naruto doing ‘whatever he said’.  Coughing, he reined his brain in and tried to focus on his shelter while visions of a tan skin danced in his head. Pulling on the plane pieces, he realized they were heavier than he had originally thought. Dragging them had been no problem, but now to lift them _……I might need some help…No. No I don’t. I can do this easily_. Grabbing a particularly large piece, he hefted it into a vertical position and propped it up against the tree with the net. _This might be a bit tougher than I thought…_

Naruto yawned and put more branches on his teepee. Grinning down at Kyuubi, he stepped back and admired his work.

“Look, it’s coming along just fine. This is so easy. The teme said I couldn’t do it, but look! I’m Uzumaki Naruto and I can do anything!”

Proudly circling his project, he peeped over at what Sasuke was doing. Laughing loudly, he saw that Sasuke was struggling with a piece of the plane.

“Oi Kyuubi, look. The teme can’t pick it up. He must be weaker than I thought.”

Sasuke froze as he heard Naruto mocking him. Eyes narrowing, he lifted an eyebrow. _I’m ‘weaker’ than he thought? Weaker? …….Looks like someone needs a reminder of what I can do._

Unbuttoning his shirt, he ripped it off and cracked his knuckles. Throughout the process of building the shelter, he had worked up a bit of sweat. His pale skin glistened in the sun as drops of perspiration slowly slid down the ridges of his lean muscles. Grabbing his torn jacket, he ripped off a two long strips. He wrapped the black material around his hands; the plane chunks had sharp edges and he needed to be careful.  Wiping his brow with the back of his hand, he inhaled deeply and stretched a bit, making sure to put on a bit of show for the dobe. _Now to show him what all_ this _can do._ Smirking cockily, he tightly gripped the plane piece and lifted it up, grabbing more vines to help secure it.

Naruto gaped as he watched Sasuke seemingly effortlessly lift the heavy plane piece he had been struggling with and tie it into place to act as a wall. His eyes followed the curve of Sasuke’s shoulders and the edges of his arm muscles. The smooth movements of the pale skin covering the sinewy muscles were mesmerizing. Naruto could imagine how smooth the pale skin would feel; the strength hidden underneath as his fingers would slowly follow trace along the ridges. Blinking, he saw as Sasuke pushed sand along the ‘wall’ to help support it.

Sasuke grunted as he shoved the wall in place. _Shit, that was hard._ Huffing, he clenched and released his hands several times. Breathing deeply, he wiped his brow again and exhaled slowly. Smirking at his accomplishment, he looked over at Naruto and nodded once. _You were saying, dobe?_

Naruto’s face turned red as Sasuke nodded at him. _Oh you think you’re fancy huh?_ Not one to be outdone, he frowned and leapt to his feet. Taking off his own shirt, he glared a Kyuubi who had done nothing wrong.

“Alright Kyuubi, time to show this bastard how it’s done.”

He reached down and hefted up some of the heavier branches. Clenching his teeth and grunting, he set them up on his teepee and quickly had to tie them together. Slightly slipping, he had a mini panic attack when his vision went faintly blurry. Blinking rapidly, it went away and he managed to successfully knot the sticks to his teepee without any further slips. Needing to secure it, he dragged over several logs and shoved them up against the structure. Dusting his hands off, he grinned and looked over at Sasuke and nodded his head. _What now, teme? Your move._

Sasuke had watched as Naruto yanked on the heavy branches. Amused that the dobe would actually try to outdo him, he was slightly alarmed when Naruto seemed to lose his grip on some of the branches. Resisting the urge to go and help him, he refused to acknowledge the fact that he was faintly relieved when Naruto appeared to regain his balance. He thoughtfully rubbed his face. Naruto wasn’t weak, but he was stronger that he appeared. It would seem that the tan skin held a secret. Although the blond was smaller than him, Naruto’s body seemed to fit him well. His body was perfectly proportioned and the swirl tattoo around his navel made it that much more enticing. With eyes zeroing in on the tattoo, Sasuke was curious about the design and the location. His inspection of Naruto’s body was cut short when he noticed that the dobe was still challenging him. _If it’s a show you want, it’s a show you’ll get._

Grabbing on to another piece of plane, Sasuke yanked it up and quickly secured it, his tendons aching from all the heavy lifting. Biting his lip by accident, he tasted blood as he forced his arms to keep the piece in place before he shoved the sand along the bottom of the wall to help it stand. Tying the vine through the holes of the wall, he made sure to then tie those vines to the branches supporting the roof. Out of breath, he refused to show weakness by taking a break. Satisfied that his shelter was almost complete, he licked the blood from his lip, the tangy and metallic flavor tasting weird. He looked over at Naruto, who now seemed to be preoccupied with his basketball.

Naruto crossed his arms, unimpressed. Surprised, he glanced down at Kyuubi.

“What? No, I don’t think the teme is hot. Why would you say that?”

“…”

“NO. I’m not showing off for him. He’s being a douche and tried to act tough, so I decided to show him how it’s done.”

“…”

“What do you mean he’s showing off for me? The bastard doesn’t even like me. Kyuubi, you’re getting confused. Maybe I’ve left you too long in the sun…”

“…”

“Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side! There is no way I was checking him out. Kyuubi, shut up or I will dig a hole and put you in it. Have fun trying to get out.”

“…”

“That’s what I thought. You better be quiet.”

Naruto decided to ignore the pale bastard and go back to leisurely building his teepee. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up at the sky and saw that time had flown by. Instead of the bright blue of the morning, the sky was a deeper blue, with a bit of gray mixed in. The wind had started to pick up and blow cool air around them, lowering the comfortable temperature.

Sasuke glanced up at the sky at the same time as Naruto. Noticing the sun beginning to be blocked by clouds, he warily watched the gray-ish clouds begin to drift closer. Feeling hungry, he motioned Naruto over to the pool, grabbing his spear as he walked towards it.

“What do you want, teme?”

“Before it gets darker, we should break for lunch. It’s already late in the afternoon. By the way, your shelter is basically useless.”

“What the hell are you talking about? It’s perfect. It’s even better than yours. Jealous much?” Naruto taunted as he jabbed his spear down.

Sasuke internally rolled his eyes. Stabbing his spear down, he wiped the water that splashed up from his face.

“It’s not structurally sound and it has no roof. That thing could fall down and hurt you. Face it, you lost this challenge too.”

Naruto pressed his lips together and shot a death glare at the raven. Slamming his spear down, he managed to catch two fish simultaneously.

“Thank you for your input, lord of the shelters,” he sneered, “but no thanks. Mine is better and I have not lost this challenge. I won’t.”

Sasuke threw his spear down and caught one of the orange koi fish. Scowling, he looked at Naruto.

“As much as it has been enjoyable watching you fail, this isn’t a game. A shitty shelter like yours is going to be worthless. Take my advice and build another one.”

“You can take your advice and shove it up your ass, along with the pole already in there. The deal was that I build one and win, while you build one and lose. The rules haven’t changed and, oh look, it’s time for my lunch. Good day, sir.”

Naruto bowed sarcastically and yanked up his catch, stomping angrily all the way back to his side. Growling and muttering under his breath, he set to building up a small fire.

“Fucking asshole. Telling me that my shelter is shit, what a prick. See what I mean Kyuubi? You have no idea what you were talking about. The bastard and I aren’t compatible…..Yes! The fire started!” Grinning, he realized that he had made the fire both times before, so Sasuke wasn’t going to have one. Feeling only a tiny bit of pity for Sasuke, Naruto slyly glanced over at him.

Sasuke watched as Naruto stormed off. Shaking his head, he frowned and picked up his own catch. _I try to give him advice, and he just throws it back at me. Just goes to show that nuisances like him aren’t worth the time._ Setting the sticks up, he began to try and start a fire. He had been watching the last time Naruto did it, and figured that he could copy. He did have good eyesight for copying things. Arms straining, he managed to get a small cloud of smoke before a bit of fire started up. _There. Not so hard when you know what to do._ Looking up, he noticed the dobe staring angrily at him as he successfully made fire. Staring back, Sasuke roasted his fish and dined in; shoving the fact that he didn’t need the Naruto in his face.

“Stupid bastard got lucky ….Kyuubi! Shut up! NO, even if he couldn’t make one, I wouldn’t have helped him. Besides, we’re hardly friends.”

Biting into his lunch, he uncomfortably scratched his back, the pink skin feeling slightly raw and raised. _Ouch. I probably have a sunburn or something. Oh well._

The wind had begun to blow stronger, making Sasuke shiver. Looking up, he was surprised to see that the sky was now a dark swirling mass of gray. The blue had vanished, leaving the sky in fifty shades of gray. (Ha) The sun was nowhere to be seen as the trees began to rustle loudly with the wind. Sasuke got to his feet and shielded his eyes from the sand being thrown up. The wind whipped his hair around his face as he felt a drop of rain strike him and slowly roll down his chest. Eyes widening, he realized it was raining. _Shit, but my shelter isn’t that ready!_ Running over to his shelter, he yanked up the palm fronds yet to be secured and desperately tried to tie them down. The loose palm fronds began to flailing in the air.

Naruto glanced up as the rain began to slowly pitter patter around him. Shocked, he looked at his teepee. _Oh shit, I’m not done. I haven’t even put up the plant leaves to act like insulation! Oh man, it’s gotten really cold. Where’s my shirt?_ Spotting it, he quickly picked it up and grabbed Kyuubi. Running into his teepee, he suddenly realized what Sasuke had been talking about. Instead of preventing the rain from coming in, the sticks provided little protection from the rain or the cold. _Fuck, this is bad._

Slowly the rain began to pelt down; the clearing was soon almost impossible to see through. The rain created a sort of mist that quickly blocked out anything faraway. Thunder rumbled overhead, the vibrations making his teepee shake. Shivering, Naruto hugged Kyuubi to himself. _This is going to be hell. Awe, shit._

**_~Still at Kakashi’s house~_ **

“NO! Don’t touch-!”

The small kitchen erupted into a cloud of white powder. Fully doused in flour, Iruka blinked, his chocolate eyes looking out owlishly from a pale face. Sighing, he shook his head, sending another cloud out to drift to the floor.

“…the flour….”

“Hmm. Didn’t see that coming.” Kakashi said, cocking his head. His clothes were peppered with flour and it looked like snow. Scratching his head, he watched as more flour was set adrift.

Iruka looked around the kitchen. He and Kakashi seemed to have bared the brunt of the flour. He was covered in it and so was Kakashi; the kitchen table was covered in a fine layer of flour and the countertops were mostly clean.

“Well, at least, I already made the mix for the pancakes.”

Kakashi snickered. “Maa Iruka, you look like a ghost.”

Iruka glared at him, using his best ‘this isn’t funny’ look. “Didn’t I tell you not to help?” He said stiffly.

Kakashi grinned joyfully. “It was purely an accident. Besides, I enjoy helping out.”

“Now, we have to clean it up.” Gazing around the mess, Iruka blew up his bangs that fell in his face. “Do you have a broom anywhere?”

“How about we eat first and then clean? I’m still waiting to see if you can live up to your words.”

“You want to eat, while covered in flour?

“Sure. Eat first, clean later.”

“…….Okay.”

Capitulating, Iruka served up his pancakes and proved that he could make something out of almost nothing, simultaneously making them taste amazing. Kakashi was surprised to find out that the pancakes were indeed delicious and actually very easy to make. After making idle conversation and finishing off the cakes, Iruka went up to shower again put his newly washed clothes back on. Meanwhile, Kakashi disappeared from the kitchen.

Stepping out of the shower and dressing quickly, Iruka felt glad to be back in his own clothing. Tying his hair up, he ventured out of the bathroom, into the bedroom and out to the hall. Hearing no sound but his footprints on the creaky stairs, he was slightly wary.

“Kakashi? Are you there?”

Upon hearing no response, he was suddenly aware of the stillness of the house and the fact that he was in a stranger’s house in an unfamiliar area. Confused, he stepped into the living room and looked around. It was empty of any silver-haired beings. His eyebrows furrowing, he called out again.

“Kakashi? Where are you?”

He was about to shout louder when he heard a slight scratching noise. Freezing, he strained his ears to hear the faint sound. It sounded like nails. Long, sharp nails that were clawing at something. Feeling the hairs on his neck stand up, he looked all around the room, trying to find the source of the noise. It seemed to becoming out of the kitchen. Irritated with himself, for feeling faintly nervous, he set his jaw and marched steadily towards the kitchen. Thrusting the door open, he was immediately attacked……

....by seven excited, slobbering dogs. Yelping in surprise, he fell to the floor and was swarmed by the seven furballs. The biggest one sat on his legs, pinning him down while the others licked every inch of exposed flesh they could find. The eighth and smallest one, a pug, had sat back, watching as the others sniffed and prodded the fallen man.

Laughing, Iruka pushed himself into sitting position and petted the one on his legs. Glancing up, he saw that Kakashi was leaning in the doorway, still covered in flour and laughing his ass off. Settling down to a chuckle, Kakashi regarded the brunette with amused eyes.

“How’s the weather down there?” He asked; the laughter still evident in his voice.

“Cloudy with a chance of furballs. Now help me get up.”

Kakashi whistled and all of the dogs immediately stood still. The biggest dog leapt off of Iruka’s legs eagerly wagged his tail at his master.

Reaching a hand up, Iruka tightly gripped the pale one that latched on to his. Getting pulled to his feet and looking up, he suddenly noticed how close he and Kakashi were. Their faces merely inches apart, he found himself captivated by the mismatched pair of eyes seeming to stare deeply into him. Feeling his face flush and his pulse spike, he stepped back and nervously rubbed his scar.

“Um, thanks.”

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at the flush on Iruka’s face. _Oh? He’s blushing. Hmmm._

“No problem. I hope you didn’t get hurt.”

“No, I was just startled. So where did all these guys come from? Did you have them locked up somewhere?”

Iruka bent down and lightly petted the closest ones. The soft fur tickled his fingers as he ran them over their coats. Touching something cold and wet, he wrinkled his nose as he realized the dogs had begun to poke at his hand with their noses. Smiling, he stood up and tried to walk to the living room, but was blocked from taking a step.

“Nah. I had a close friend, Yamato, watch them. He brought them over while you were showering. I figured we could watch them for a while until we head back to the offices and check if anything has happened.”

“Oh. Hey, why is that one all alone?”

The brunette pointed to the pug that was still sitting on his hind legs and observing everything.

“That’s Pakkun. He doesn’t really like strangers, so it’ll take him a while to warm up to you.” Whistling loudly, Kakashi clapped his hands. “Time to feed them. Care to help?” He asked as he turned to Iruka.

“My god, how much food is that? It must be extremely expensive to have so many dogs.”

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. “They’re worth it. And I get paid quite the pretty penny, so money is never really an issue. You want to help?”

“Okay, sure.”

Going into the kitchen, Kakashi walked to a seemingly hidden door. Opening up, he revealed a room filled with dog paraphernalia. Huge bags of dog food were stacked up against a wall with the opposite wall having shelves filled with dog toys. Close to the back wall were dog beds of all sizes piled up on each other

“They don’t sleep in here; they sleep in my room on the floor. The bowls are over here, behind the bags.”

Opening one of the bags of food and taking out several bowls, he dipped the bowls into the bag and generously filled each one. Each bowl was colored differently and had names engraved on the side. Handing them off to Iruka, he finished the last bowl and opened up a cabinet. Removing eight water bowls, he placed each one next to a food bowl and filled it to the brim with water. Standing back, he was mindful to watch his step. The dogs had swarmed and had gone straight for their designated bowl. Chowing down, the air was filled with the sound of dry dog food being crunched and water being lapped up.

Amused, Iruka leaned on the doorframe and watched the canines. He had never had a dog before. He had never even had a pet of some sort. During the death of his parents, he had gone from orphanage to orphanage; the process was always hurried and awkward. Even if he had got one, there was no guarantee that he would be able to keep it if adopted. Sitting in a time out chair, he would often gaze out the window and watch as other kids play with their pets and with their parents. Feelings of longing welled up inside him as he observed how happy they were. Hugging his knees, he would turn away from the window and refuse to cry. Instead, he would run out and cause trouble to fill the emptiness inside him, masking his pain with a wide smile.

Now, as he watched the rambunctious dogs, he realized that he could have one. He had a stable job and had even taken care of a kid. There was nothing stopping him from going to the nearest pet shop and buying one. Naruto was soon going to be all grown up and live on his own, leaving him alone. Once this was over, and Naruto was safe and at home, he would go back to his mediocre life. _Maybe…,_ a tiny voice spoke up in his head, … _Maybe Kakashi will be there. What if you work up the courage and date him? That way, even if Naruto moves away, you won’t be so lonely between his visits. You’ll have someone who cares at your side._ Scoffing at the voice, Iruka shook his head slightly. _That’s absurd. Kakashi is simply being nice to me. It’s nothing more than that…….even if I did like him, I don’t think my feelings are reciprocated._ Sighing, he rubbed his scar.

“If only if only.” Iruka spoke softly, his inner thoughts raging in his head.

“If only if only

the wood pecker sighs

the bark on the trees was as soft as

the skies

as the wolf waits below

hungry and lonely

he cries to the moon

if only if only.”

Kakashi had heard the soft words and had recognized them from a lullaby he heard as a kid. Singing it just as softly, he turned to the shocked Iruka who was staring at him with wide brown eyes. Shrugging it off, he scratched his head.

“I used to hear that all the time as a kid.”

Iruka blinked and looked around as he regained his voice.

“I would hear it when I would go to sleep at night. I was taken to a foster home once. The family lived in these apartments and the walls were paper thin. Every night, a mother would sing it to her baby. Her room was next to mine, so whenever she would sing it, I would hear it. I used to pretend she was my mother and was secretly singing to me. It would put me right to sleep; imagining her tucking me in and kissing me goodnight.”

Smiling sadly at the memory, Iruka suddenly realized that he had said it out loud. Blushing he stammered out and excuse.

“Oh, I mean I…..um….no, she….”

Kakashi was shocked at the reveal of such a painful, yet sweet memory. Watching the brunette being to stutter and blush, he gave a lopsided grin and stood up. Walking past Iruka, he gently tousled his hair.

Iruka closed his eyes and winced as he saw Kakashi’s hand going near his face. Thinking the hand was going to silence him, he was stunned when the hand tenderly brushed against his hair, leaving his nerve endings tingling from the contact and his pulse speeding up. Swallowing, he raised a hand and touched the spot Kakashi had.  Realizing what he was doing, he yanked his hand away with quiet curse, his face once more burning red. _……Did he not hear what I said, or is he choosing to keep it quiet? Does he know I didn’t mean tell him that?_ With the questions creating chaos in his head, he didn’t noticed when Kakashi came back.

Feeling a tap on his shoulders, he jumped in surprise. Twisting around, he saw Kakashi holding up what looked like different colored ropes.

“Before you want to head out to the offices, do you want to help me walk these mutts?”


	12. Rub a dub dub

Thunder rumbled up above. Gray clouds dominated the sky, rolling across bringing torrents of water and lightning. The water pitter pattered against the leaves, creating a sort of clapping sound. The entire surface of the lake was shrouded in a fine mist of water vapor. The raindrops splashed playfully against the pool of water, causing tiny ripples everywhere. The ground slowly became soggy and muddy; the sand became thick and heavy as it absorbed the rain. All around Sasuke and Naruto, the trees lightly danced underneath the weight of the sky’s tears.

Hearing small chitters, Sasuke opened his eyes to see three small creatures dart into the thick canopy of the tees. Shivering, he rubbed his hands on his legs, trying furtively to warm them. Irritated, he looked at his soggy shirt. _This is what I get for trying to put an idiot in his place. Fuck._ Breathing deeply into his hands, he rubbed them together, using the slight friction to warm them up. Inspecting his shelter, he noted with a hint of pride that it was holding up well. Despite letting in a few raindrops here and there, the roof he made by stacking the palm fronds together was holding up quite nicely. Although he was quite dry, the chilly rain brought with it a deep drop in temperature. Gazing at his arms, he noted the goosebumps that had risen up and scowled. Shivering again, his entire body shook and he gritted his teeth to stop them from chattering. _What the fuck is up with the damn weather here? One day, it’s hot as hell. The next, I’m freezing to death._ Remembering that he was not alone in his ordeal, he glanced over at the blond and cursed loudly. Naruto was off even worse than him. At least he was dry; the smaller man was getting soaked from his shitty shelter and was shivering violently.

Naruto sneezed. Huddling his legs closer to his body, he closed his eyes and desperately tried to take his mind off the cold. The freezing rain fell through the roof and onto him, slowly rolling down his skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps behind it. His teeth chattering, he refused to acknowledge the fact that he should have taken the bastard’s advice and build a better shelter. He jumped slightly as the rain increased in intensity and poured another bucket of ice cold water onto his head and down his back. Cursing, he opened his eyes and turned to Kyuubi.

“Oi Kyuubi. How much longer do you think this’ll last?”

“…”

“The rest of the day!? It was only the afternoon! God, I’m going to fucking get hyperthermia!”

“…”

“No, I will not go to the bastard for warmth.”

“….”

“…..Kyuubi, we are not doing that to keep warm. Why the hell do you have such a dirty mind?!”

Aggravated, he renewed his efforts to warm himself and began to furiously rub his arms up and down. Wincing as more rain hit his sensitive neck, he yelped and jerked up, hitting the wall of his teepee. The structure decided it couldn’t take the abuse and wobbled before collapsing unto itself. Shocked, Naruto leapt out of the way and watched as his hard work crumpled to the floor into a pile of disappointment. Pissed, he angrily kicked the fallen pile of branches. Pushing some up, he quickly began to try and build another, even as the rain began to numb his fingers and wrack his body with shivers. Desperately tying the branches together, he propped them up only to watch as the fell over. Refusing to give up and let his anger takes over; he bent down and tried again with the same result.  Breathing deeply, he violently shivered and rubbed his eyes. Angry tears welled up in his eyes, but he brutally wiped them away. Looking around, he refused to turn in the direction Sasuke was. _That piece of shit bastard is probably just laughing at me. He’s probably waiting for me to go over there and apologize, but fuck that._ Turning to the forest, he was surprise to see that the thick trees offered no protection. The rain simply slipped in between the leaves and soaked the ground. Wiping the soaked hair plastered to his face out of the way, he rubbed the back of his neck and sat down underneath a small tree that offered the tiniest bit of protection.

Sasuke watched and winced as Naruto’s attempts to fix his shelter failed. Irritated that he felt concerned, he resisted calling the blonde over. _Even if I did call him, he won’t come. He’ll argue with me and turn down my offer, go back to that ball and end up freezing to death. Stupid dobe. He should’ve just listened to me when I first told him to fix it. Now look at him, he’s basically helpless._ Scowling he crossed his arms. A voice in the back of his head that he never knew he had spoken up. _Maybe you should still call him over and help him. It’s what a good friend would do._ Sasuke internally rolled his eyes. _Oh? Are we friends?_

The small voice pondered for a moment. _Maybe, even, closer than friends. You know, you can predict his behavior better than Itachi’s and you’ve jerked off to him. Definitely closer than friends._ Sasuke’s cheeks turned the slightest bit pinker. _That was just in the moment. Nothing like that will happen again._ The voice turned sly. _Even if he wants it? Even if he literally throws himself at you like he did before?_ The raven coughed and rubbed his arms. _He didn’t throw himself at me; he was trying to help me._

The voice changed tone and became a bit crueler. _Help you? He wanted it and you know it. He could be really easy. What if he’s nothing more than a slut for you to fuck? Hey, take what you can get._ Getting incredibly pissed at the imaginary entity in his mind, Sasuke frowned and felt an urge to protect his dobe. _The dobe is_ not _easy. I refuse to think that he’s a slut. He’s just stupid and cute. He tries his best and keeps trying even when that fails._ The voice changed back into its light tone. _If he’s not your friend, and you don’t like him, why defend him? Face it Sasuke, you feel something for Naruto._ Sasuke looked down and pressed his lips together. Taking in all of the facts, he was cornered. _Even if I did like him, he probably doesn’t like me._ The small voice got irritated. _Duh he likes you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been responding while you were making out with him. And don’t you give me any of that “caught up in the moment” bullshit._ Sighing Sasuke relented. _Besides, if I did fuck him, I doubt I’d let it be a onetime thing._ The voice piped up happily. _I doubt he would either._

Standing up, Sasuke braced himself and stepped out of his shelter. Immediately getting pelted by the rain and cold wind, he shivered and made his way over to the freezing blond. His hair became heavy and plastered itself against his face and neck, creating little rivulets of ice cold water on his body. Looming over the smaller man, he nudged him.

Naruto looked up in surprise to see Sasuke standing over him. The pale man was shivering just like him, but was dryer. Frowning and looking away, Naruto spoke.

“W-What do y-you want? Did y-you come to gloat, t-teme?” 

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke held his hand out. “Come on, dobe.”

Eying he hand suspiciously, Naruto stared at him. Rubbing his arms, he leaned away from the hand.

“W-What? What do you w-want?”

Still holding his hand out, Sasuke stepped closer. “Come with me.”

Feeling nervous of Sasuke’s proximity to him, Naruto gazed up at him curiously. _He’s not gloating, so what does he want? Go where with him?_

Sasuke licked his lips and shivered. His pants had now been soaked though and his wet skin was being abused by the cold winds.

“Back to my shelter. Come on.” Grabbing the blonde’s hand, he pulled Naruto to his feet and dragged him towards his shelter.

Startled, Naruto pulled on his hand and resisted. “No. I d-don’t need your p-pity. I’m p-perfectly fine.

Sasuke turned and stared at Naruto, his dark eyes searching Naruto’s face intently. “I’m not doing this because I feel pity for you. I’m doing this because I want to.”

Blushing at the severity of Sasuke’s voice and his piercing eyes, Naruto gulped. But he still had his pride and was not about to become Sasuke’s slave. Yanking his hand back, he stepped away.

“N-no. My shelter was not t-the best and I will a-accept the consequences. So n-no thanks.” Turning around, Naruto began to walk back his spot before he was stopped by a cold, pale hand that clamped tightly onto his arm. Sasuke had grabbed onto him and began to pull him away.

“Moron. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not.”

Sasuke dragged the fighting and shivering blond back to his shelter. Thankful that he built it big, he pushed the dobe inside. Naruto pouted, crossed his arms and plopped onto the floor near the back. Once inside, Sasuke unbuttoned his soaked dress pants and began to pull them off. He was amused to see Naruto’s eyes widen and a bright red blush run across his tan face as the smaller man watched him.

“Teme, w-what are y-you doing?!” Naruto scooted even further back of the shelter.

“It’s stupid to stay in wet clothes, remember?”

Stripping to his boxers, he pushed the pants into a corner. Turning to Naruto, he cocked his head.

“Well? Do you need help?”

“N-NO! I can d-do it myself, pervert!” Bringing his frozen fingers up, Naruto fumbled with his pants’ clasp. Unable to get his fingers to work properly, he cursed and tried to tug the pants off. It didn’t work.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed his hands out of the way. _It’s not perverted if you want it._ Smoothly undoing the clasp, he pulled them down to reveal a familiar pair of boxers.

“OI TEME! Y-you can’t just do t-that!” Naruto was stunned when Sasuke’s pale hands descended down to his crotch. Feeling his heart rate spike and knowing what kind of affect the bastard had on him, he tried to edge awkwardly away before anything decided to pop up.

“Relax, I’m only helping you. Stop squirming!”

Sasuke fluidly yanked the jeans off the blond and tossed them to the side. Crawling to the back, he sat down next to the smaller man. The cold hitting him full force now that he was soaked, he shivered viciously.

Settling down, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, the cold seeping down into his bones. Not knowing what to say or if he should thank the raven, he settled for staring at the ground.

“Bastard, are we gonna freeze to death? I mean, we can’t make a fire in here, so what do we do?”

Sasuke turned to him, an odd pink tinge on his cheeks and a determined look on his face. “We do what we can do. We use body heat to stay alive.”

“Body heat? W-what, are you g-going to work o-out or something?”

“Something like that.”

 

**_xXx_ **

 

Iruka blinked owlishly. _Wait what?_ “Pardon?”

Kakashi lightly shook the leashes in his hand. “Do you want to help me walk them? They need to go out for their daily walk.”

Iruka snapped out of the slight trance Kakashi’s gentle touch had left him in and nodded his head. “Okay, sure.” Holding out his hand, he waited as Kakashi sorted out the leashes.

Grinning, Kakashi handed him three leashes. “Each dog knows their leash color. Just hold it out and they’ll come to you.”

Iruka curiously looked at the ropes in his hands. “So how come you get four and I get three?”

Kakashi glanced over him in surprise. “You want another one?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“They can get…a bit excited. Have you ever owned a dog before?”

“…No.”

“Well then. You get three. Most people can barely handle two, and you, who have never had a dog, have three. Trust me; you’ll have your hands full with them. I’m used to them, so keeping them under control is second nature.”

Leaving the room, Kakashi went into the living room and whistled. All of the dogs had finished eating already and were lounging lazily on the floor. Upon hearing the whistle, they leapt up happily and ran towards him barking.

Iruka thought of something. “Wait, how can they tell which leash is theirs? Aren’t dogs colorblind?”

“I’ve only ever walked them with a specific leash, so their scent should be on it. It also has their name on it.”

“..Oh.”

Holding up the leashes, Iruka waited for the owners. A small dog with tan-colored fur and brown highlights on his long ears and legs came to him. The dog sat down and wagged his tail. Sniffing the green leash, he gently pawed Iruka’s leg. Bending down and clipping the leash to his collar, Iruka scratched behind its ear. Reading the text near the leashes’ handle, he made out the name Bisuke. Smiling at the odd name, he called him out.

“Bisuke.”

Upon hearing his name, the dog cocked his head and wagged his tail in confusion. Laughing, Iruka petted him and looked at the other leashes curiously. Finding the names, he called them out.

“Shiba. Urushi.”

Two dogs came quickly at his call. One had white and light-brown fur, along with long spiky tufts of hair on his head while the other had light grey fur with a white underside and a black crest on his head that appeared to be a Mohawk. Whining, they pawed at Iruka’s legs, impatient. Chuckling, Iruka clipped on their respective leashes and walked to the door, following Kakashi who was waiting at the door .

Stepping outside he was led by the dogs on the sidewalk. Walking ahead, the dogs began to run, dragging the brunette behind them.

 

**xXx**

 

An hour later, a slightly panting Kakashi and a heavily panting Iruka came back. Laughing, Kakashi went into the fridge and removed two bottles of cold water. He handed one to the smaller man and drank from his own. Iruka plopped down in one of the seat, desperately trying to catch his breath.

“I didn’t know dogs actually chased mailmen. I thought that was merely a cartoon thing.” He panted out.

“Lucky for you, it was just one mailman and two squirrels. I’ve had to run after them when they yanked the leashes out of my hands and chased down a group of girl scouts. I bought a lot of cookies that day.”

Shaking his head, Iruka chugged down his water bottle. Wiping the small trickle that dripped to his chin, he capped the bottle and placed it on the table. “So, now what?”

“Now we leave them here and go to the office and see if anything has changed. I bet Shikamaru has found at least _something_.”

Nodding slightly, Iruka’s face darkened a little.

“Yes, hopefully something.”

Locking up, they got into Kakashi’s car and drove off. Arriving at the Uchiha building, they parked and strolled into the tall building. Repeating the same process as before, they stepped into the meeting room. This time, the occupants were dressed more casually and seemed to be in better moods. Ino and Choji were looking maps on the computer screens; Ten Ten was in a deep conversation with Neji, a thick stack of papers in front of them. Gai was thankfully nowhere to be found, having done his daily youth speech and departing to go on a nature hike. A new woman was sitting down at the table. Having light brown spikey hair and bangs that fell on both sides of her face, she was talking to Shikamaru. They seemed to be bickering.

Curiously, Iruka looked at her. Nudging the taller man beside him, he tilted his head up a bit to talk to him.

“Who is the new woman? I’m sure she wasn’t here yesterday.”

Kakashi followed his gaze and nodded.

“She wasn’t here before, but that’s Temari. She and Shikamaru are close work partners. They’re like an old married couple. She complains about him being too lazy, he complains about her being too bossy…..Although they look like they go out, whenever you ask either of them about it, they deny it and go on a rant about why. The thing is that they are never far from each other and have never been seen dating anyone. Quite the couple.”

Iruka watched as the woman, Temari, pointed at Shikamaru’s computer and crossed her arms. Shikamaru then rolled his eyes and dutifully typed out something. A look of surprise crossed his face. Typing quickly, he leaned closer to the computer and cocked his head.

Ino spotted Iruka and walked over to him. Handing him a cup of freshly brewed coffee, she hugged him.

“About time you decided to show up. Unfortunately, not much has happened. We managed to infiltrate the airport’s database and hacked into the security cameras and found the one for plane 7. It’s a bit graphic, but if I had a son, I’d want to see it. I took the liberty of preparing it for you and Kakashi.” Nodding over to a lonely laptop, she turned back to the brunette. “…..The plane didn’t just go missing. Something else happened.”

Walking back to Choji, she left the shorter man. Iruka downed the rest of his coffee and threw the small white cup away. Feelings his hands faintly shake with a sense of dread, he nervously rubbed his scar and marched over to the laptop. Kakashi followed in suit, his face tense. Sitting up straight in the chair, Iruka clicked the play button. Kakashi pulled a chair from another table and sat down next to him.

The video was rather grainy and hard to see properly. It was set in the back of the plane, giving a full view of the cabin and the passengers. The camera taking the video took pictures every two seconds and would put the pictures in a sort of slide show; it had no sound. Making out a gray Naruto, Iruka felt his heart clench. He missed his ray of sunshine. The blonde appeared to be trying to get the stewardess’ attention, but to no avail. The stewardess seemed to be smitten with a dark haired person sitting further up, who never paid her attention.

“Is that Sasuke?”

“Yeah, that’s the brat. I’m assuming that’s Naruto?

“Yes, that’s him.”

The gray Naruto began to sleep and pretty soon, the gray Sasuke twisted around and began to throw things at the sleeping blonde.

“Maa, that’s unusual.”

“What is?”

“Sasuke acting……childish. He usually never breaks from his cold persona. I haven’t seen him act this way since he was young, before he was involved with the family business.”

“Oh. Well, he set off Naruto. Oh no, he better not trying to get in a fight. I strictly warned him not to.”

“Sasuke vs Naruto? Interesting. Let’s see who wins…….Oh shit.”

“……Oh fuck.”

At once, the front of the cabin erupted in flames and the cock pit swallowed up in bright light. Iruka let out a breathy, “Oh no…” at the sight of Naruto being thrown against the plane wall. His heart began to beat erratically in his chest when the blond didn’t move. Feeling his palms go clammy, he rubbed them on his thighs. He watched nervously as Sasuke clambered over to the unconscious man and tried to wake him.

“Naruto, get up. Please get up.”

Terrified, he watched with a small sense of relief as the smaller man woke up and got to his feet. The plane was nearly engulfed in flames.

“Oh shit, they need to get off _immediately_!”

The normally calm and well-mannered Iruka was now frantically watching as the teens tried to find a way off. Kakashi was surprised to hear the brunette cursing. He understood, though. Seeing the kid he had raised and watched over in a dangerous and deadly situation had his nerves on edge and his muscles tense. He wanted to help, but attempting to help the past was fruitless. His pale hands clenched and unclenched as he saw the raven searching for something. _A parachute. Good thinking, Sasuke. Use it to get to safety. Come one, just put on the fucking parachute and jump off!_ Anxiously, he noticed that the teen seemed to be struggling to breathe and stand up straight.

Horrified, Iruka saw the teens become distracted by something. Sasuke walked over to the back, passing past the range of view of the camera.

“Wait, where is he going?! The plane is a going to crash!”

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it must have been worth wasting precious moments.”

Seconds later, Sasuke shot out of the bathroom area and slammed into Naruto. A millisecond later, the whole area exploded into a blinding flash of light. The camera became full of static and began to go dark. The last picture was of Sasuke using his body to protect Naruto. Going to black, the film stopped, the image fading out.

Iruka rubbed his nose scar, his hands shaking even more. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the silver-haired man.

“Let me get this straight. The plane not only went missing, but was _bombed_? Did that son of a bitch from yesterday do it; the one that called in?!”

Kakashi stared down at his hands. “It would appear so.” His tone was unusually quiet. _Sasuke protected the blond? He used his own body to protect a stranger he just met? Something is weird. He would never do that._

“…..Are……are they okay? Is that it?” Iruka felt numb all over his body. With this new knowledge, all he gained was a new level of worry for Naruto.

“Unfortunately that’s all Shikamaru could find. The last blast destroyed the camera.”

Ino had come back. Seeing the tan man now pale and more worried had her wanting to sooth him.

“Actually,” Shikamaru’s voice spoke up, a barely perceptible modicum of excitement hidden in his tone, “It seems I may have found a little more. “


	13. Every Time We Touch

Sasuke and Naruto sat side by side in the back shelter, their arms and torsos touching. Awkwardly, they both avoided looking at each other and listened to the rumbling thunder. After half an hour of huddling together, they had warmed up and had gotten comfortable. The lightning outside would occasionally make them jump, but it brought them closer. Naruto hated the silence and wanted to break it, but he didn’t know how. After a few more minutes of silence, he irritably broke it.

“So. Um, where were you headed off to before the plane crash?”

Sasuke looked over at him, surprise evident on his face. A musing expression on his face, he answered.

“I was on my way to my family’s company.” Turning his face down, he observed his feet, picking a blade of grass off of his foot.

“You work there?”

“I do. After my brother, the current president, retires, I’m taking over.”

Naruto gazed at the pale face, his blue eyes searching intently. He, basically, knew nothing about the raven, so the conversation had his utmost attention. _The bastard must be pretty smart. He was wearing an expensive suit, so he must be rich._ Turning his attention to the floor, he spotted some twigs by his foot and reached for them, the brief separation of their skin raising goosebumps on him and making him uncomfortable. He quickly got back in place, twigs in his hand.

“So what does your family’s company do?”

Unconsciously leaning a bit into the blond, Sasuke pushed his damp hair out of his eyes. Licking his bottom lip, he tasted blood from the cut he had made earlier.

“I work in the electronics branch, and a main branch deals with aviation.”

“Oh.” Naruto digested this information. Pushing up a pile of damp, heavy sand, he molded it into a round mound. Sticking the twigs into it, he showed it to Sasuke. “It’s a turtle.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the badly deformed sand turtle. Leaning closer, he reached over and traced a pattern on the “shell”. Drawing the shapes, he withdrew his hand; the small sculpture looked more like a turtle now. Naruto let out an amused chuckle. Carefully he pushed the turtle away and cleared the floor space by his feet.

Sasuke curiously watched him. Feeling the need to fill the silence, he asked questions too.

“So where were you headed?”

Naruto was tracing a picture in the sand with his pointer finger. It appeared to be a face.

“I was going to help Iruka with his company. He fired some asshole and needed me to step in.”

“What does the company specialized in?”

Naruto stopped tracing and pouted. “Umm, Iruka has his own law firm and he hired me to fill in. I have to start off with being file room manager, but he said he would promote me if I did well.”

“Hn.”

Naruto continued creating his picture. _He has thin jaw-line and a small, yet straight nose. His black, midnight eyes are perfectly symmetrical, deep with thought and have bangs falling into them. His hair spikes up in the back like a ducks butt, and he has thin eyebrows that always are furrowed. His mouth is usually frowning, but can look sexy when he smirks. His chin is just a bit pointy and his cheeks are bones aren’t very visible._ Humming while he drew, he finished up and smiled widely.

“Look teme, it’s you!”

Sasuke stared at the drawing. Stunned, he was surprised to find that the picture in the sand looked exactly like him. His piercing eyes glared up from the sand and his mouth was set in his perpetual smirk. He turned to Naruto and gave him the real smirk. “I didn’t know you could draw. It looks perfectly like me, I’m impressed.”

Naruto blushed at the rare acknowledgement of his talents. Accepting the compliment, he scratched his head. “It’s a hobby of mine. I had sketchbooks in my bag, but they kind of died when the plane blew up…..several times.”

Sasuke cleared the space near his feet and set to drawing the dobe. Pressing his lips together, he tried to replicate the picture he had in his mind. _The dobe has giant blue eyes that are always portraying his emotions. He has spikey yellow hair that has no order whatsoever and that goes down to his eyes. Underneath his pert nose, his kissable lips are always smiling, always showing a set of perfect teeth._ Adding the final touch, he observed his work. Although not perfect, it did resemble the smaller man. He nudged the blonde and nodded towards his handiwork. Naruto curiously looked over and his lips twitched. His sapphire eyes shining with amusement, he met the raven’s gaze.

“It’s awesome. I’ve never been drawn before.”

Sasuke studied Naruto’s face and twisted back to his drawing. “I forgot something.” Using his pointer finger, he added the whisker-like scratches on the drawing’s cheeks. “There. Now it’s flawless.”

Naruto cocked his head. “It looks like a fox. Do I look like that?”

Sasuke nodded and leaned back. “Yes, you do.”

Lightning shot across the sky, shining blinding light upon their camp. The clouds kept up their constant barrage of cold water, causing the men to huddle closer to preserve the warmth inside of the shelter. After a while, Naruto began to fidget. Twitching around, he kept moving and jolting Sasuke. Sasuke figured Naruto would get impatient after a while and ignored him. Closing his eyes, he soon felt drowsy. The quiet pattering of the rain on the roof of the shelter and the rumble of the thunder outside soothed him. Feeling Naruto bumping and jerking around beside him, he impatiently elbowed the blond in the ribs.

“Dobe, stop moving around!”

“I can’t help it!” Naruto whined.” “My back itches!” Fidgeting against Sasuke, Naruto rubbed his back on the tree bark he was up against, desperately trying to scratch it. Sasuke kept getting pushed around, so he shoved the blond forward.

“Where does it itch?”

“Fucking everywhere!” Arching his back, Naruto pushed against Sasuke wandering hands.

“Stop fucking moving, I’m trying to see!”

The dark clouds had leeched almost all the light from the afternoon sun, making everything dark. Inspecting the dobe’s back, Sasuke saw that his skin was slightly raised and extremely pink. Lightly drifting his cold fingers across on the puffy skin, he felt Naruto jump at his chilly touch. _This is not a sunburn, so what is it? I can’t recall him having an allergic reaction to anything._

 “Hn.”

“What is it? Why is it so itchy?”

“It’s some sort of rash, but it looks like it is fading, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“But it’s still itchy! Make it stop!”

“What the hell do you want me to do? Does it look like I have lotion?! Deal with it.”

Taking his hands off of the dobe, Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away. Naruto grumbled and leaned back against the tree, abusing his poor tan skin on it. Wincing, Sasuke sighed and pushed Naruto forward. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, don’t leave!”

Surprised at the pitch of slight panic in Naruto’s voice, Sasuke reassured him. “I said I’ll be right back, so calm down.”

Ducking out into the rain, Sasuke ran fast. Having dried off and gotten warm, the icy water hit him hard, chasing away any warmth he was trying to preserve. Going into the jungle, he lifted his arm to keep rain from his eyes and ran to a spot where he had last seen the plant. Quickly locating it in the downpour, he pulled off several of the leaves and he sprinted back into the shelter. Shivering, he entered, scooted to the back of the shelter, and poked the blonde.

“Move over, I have something for you.”

“Huh? What is it?”

Sitting down behind the blonde and placing his legs on either side of Naruto, Sasuke plopped down and rubbed his frozen hands together, trying to warm them up.

“It’s an aloe plant. It’s excellent in lotions, so it might help you a bit.”

“Oh. Um, …..thanks.”

“Hn. Just stay still and I’ll help you put it on.”

Squeezing the plant pulp onto his hands, Sasuke rubbed the cold gel on Naruto’s back. Naruto flinched at the icy touch of the gel, but held himself still. Spreading the gel, Sasuke’s hands ran all Naruto’s shoulders, giving him a sort of massage. Naruto soon let out a quiet moan and Sasuke’s sensitive ears picked it up. Smirking, he got an idea. Digging in deep, he kneaded the soft tissue of Naruto’s tan lower back. Smoothing more of the gel on the shoulders, he traced the contours of Naruto’s shoulder blades and ran a finger lightly down his spine. His hands tingling, Sasuke used his nails to gently scratch down Naruto’s back.  Shifting to knees, Sasuke used his height increase to tower over the blonde and to adjust his growing problem. Naruto shivered and let out slight groan, his breathing increasing in rate. The blonde’s head rolled back a bit and he pushed into Sasuke’s adventuring fingers.

Leaning closer to Naruto, Sasuke spoke softly into his ear.His breath tickled the sensitive ear.He used his most persuasive and seductive voice in his arsenal.

“So dobe. Do you have a girlfriend?”

Naruto shuddered, turned his head slightly, and looked at Sasuke suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. “Making small talk, moron.”

Naruto turned back around and lightly rocked in place, his boxers beginning to feel a tad bit tight. “No, I don’t. I’ve been single for a while now.”

“Hn. Can’t imagine why.”

“Is that sarcasm, teme?”

“No. But that was.”

Arguing with Naruto, Sasuke’s hand began to slowly drift lower. Rubbing the plant pulp on Naruto’s lower back; his hands edged forward toward Naruto’s stomach. Remembering the tattoo on the dobe’s stomach, Sasuke slyly smiled.

“Naruto, when did you get this tattoo?” His hand drew across the tan stomach and lightly traced the image he had memorized a while ago. He smirked as he felt Naruto inhale sharply and twitch at the touch, squirming in place.

“I um… got it for my 18th birthday. Iruka doesn’t know about it…”

Naruto was getting nervous at Sasuke’s soft touches. The back massage felt amazing, but his strokes had turned to caresses and were sending bolts of pleasure to his groin. Admitting it to himself, he knew that he felt attracted to Sasuke. His sexuality had never been an issue. He was attracted to both sexes, but had always liked women more. Meeting and dealing with Sasuke had him thinking differently. The bastard had a smirk that would have him blushing and his heart pounding. The way he would stare at him with those obsidian eyes had Naruto craving to know what they hid and to make them spark with emotion. Sasuke’s snarky asshole behavior had become something he had gotten used to and now liked. Naruto found himself enjoying being on the island with him, more than he would have ever thought he would. He wanted to punch that face, but at the same time, kiss it to oblivion, tasting the amazing cinnamon that was Sasuke. But despite his wanting to have the raven fuck his brains out, he still had his doubts. _Sasuke seems to like me, but maybe….maybe it’s because I’m the only other person here. On the plane, Sakura was always talking to him. She seemed to be happy with him so what if he was going to get some from her, but can’t now, so he’s turned to me? I don’t do one night-stands, it’s not my thing. And Sasuke looks like the typical fuck–em and leave-em kind of guy._ Licking his lips he looked down at the hand on his stomach and hesitated before nodding his head slightly. There was only one way to find out. And if it turned out the bastard was just out for sex, he would have to deal with one pissed off Naruto as long as they were stuck here.

Pinning down the hand that had begun to sneak down towards his crotch, Naruto looked up at Sasuke, his cheeks red and his blue orbs swirling with lust. Sasuke was surprised at Naruto’s piercing gaze and stilled his hands.

“Teme, don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“…..Is that another challenge, Uzumaki?”

“Only if you’re up for it; doesn’t seem like you are, though.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. Grasping Naruto’s chin, he tugged Naruto’s face up towards his, making them awkwardly face each other.

“Get ready to eat your words, dobe.”

Mashing their mouths together, he inched his hand to the waistband of Naruto’s boxers.

**xXx**

Everyone rushed over to Shikamaru’s computer and crowded around him. Looking uncomfortable and regretting he said anything, Shikamaru sighed and leaned back a bit to let everyone get a glance at the screen.

“Okay, so the fact that Kabuto called in to mock Itachi proves he had something to do with it. Motive? Probably to take down the enemy company: The Uchiha Enterprise. Seeing as Itachi has led the company to reach its maximum potential and to shoot straight up, towering over other companies. Sasuke was set to take over. Now, Sasuke has been groomed and prepared to take over the company after Itachi, so naturally, they want to eliminate further competition.”

“But why a teenage boy? Wouldn’t it be smarter to take out the current competition rather than the future one?” Iruka inquired.

“You see, Sasuke is showing more potential right now than Itachi could. He’s accomplishments have generated a lot of attention and have brought the company tons of money in. With Itachi raking it in and Sasuke bringing more, The Uchiha Enterprise is nearly indestructible. But if you were to take one out, say, Sasuke, then the stability would break.”

“But why? Isn’t its position secure enough?”

“You can’t have one without the other. Itachi and Sasuke work as vital parts of a machine. You take one out, and the whole structure falls apart. It needs both parts. Sasuke is the only one capable of smoothly running things after Itachi. Sasuke is conveniently also the only one who could rival Itachi.”

Shikamaru brought up the list of passengers on the plane. Four names were listed.

“Now, for how it happened. So you have the pilot. Some guy named Kimimaru. The stewardess; some girl named Sakura, and our two guys. Hence, the only way the bombs could have gotten on the plane is for one of these four to have planted them. We obviously know that our guys didn’t, leaving the other two as suspects." 

He then brought up the same video that Iruka and Kakashi had seen. Pointing out the areas where the explosives were, he explained the significance.

“These areas are where they were. Think. What about these areas seem odd?” 

“They can’t be accessed by passengers.” Kakashi mused.

“Precisely. That leaves the pilot and the stewardess as the culprits. The question is: are they working together, or did one of them do it separately?”

Iruka leaned back, his mouth in a thoughtful frown. Rubbing his nose scar, he contemplated something. Cocking his head, he noticed something.

“Hey, what happened to the stewardess during the explosions? Since the pilot was most likely taken out during the second detonation, where does that leave her?”

Shikamaru looked back at the screen and played back the tape. The woman disappeared into the cockpit minutes before the first blast. “She probably was blown up along with the pilot.”

“Do you think the bombs were timed or activated by signals?”

Kakashi interjected. He had suddenly thought of something, but wanted to be clear on his hypothesis before telling everyone.

 

Neji came out of nowhere with a sheet of paper and a black sharpie. Drawing a diagram on it, he explained the how the explosives seemed to work. He mentioned what kind of materials would have most likely been used and how much of it. Drawing up small examples of different bombs, he described the difference between a timed bomb and a signal triggered one.

“Judging by the blast radius and the longevity of the detonation, this was a signal triggered one. It had to have been activated from close by.”

Kakashi’s head shot up, his hypothesis becoming more and more solid. “But if they were signal triggered, then who set off the last explosive? Who was close enough to detonate it?"

Shikamaru turned to Temari. He had explained enough, now it was her turn. Rolling her eyes, she turned to the others and leaned her hip against the table.

“We think it was pilot. He was the first one on board and most likely the one to have access to the plane when no one was around. He might have escaped somehow after setting off the first bomb and then triggered the next one. The stewardess most likely died when the second one detonated.”

“Okay, so we have the motive and who did it. The pilot was in cahoots with Kabuto, who works for Orochimaru. But we still don’t know what happened to Sasuke and Naruto afterward. Did they get blown up?”

Kakashi and Iruka both winced when Neji spoke.

“The probability of them surviving is slim at most. But since they seemed to have parachutes on and out of the range of the blast, they may have survived.” Ten Ten reassured. “They may have jumped for it.”

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “They’re alive; we just need to find them.” He said confidently.

Iruka turned to him, his face pale with worry. “How do you know?”

Kakashi shrugged and scratched his hair. “I don’t, but something tells me they’re alive.”

Shikamaru motioned for everyone to step away. “I’ve tracked the plane’s initial course, so now I have to figure out when the bombs went off and where. The transmitter on Sasuke was……wait, we had two on him. One on the plane, and one on his carry-on briefcase. One was obviously disabled by the blasts, but what about the first one? He didn’t know about it, so why was it disabled?”

Everyone in the room was silent. Iruka rubbed his temples, his brain working at a million miles per hour. Furrowing his eyebrows, he hummed as he thought. All of a sudden, Kakashi snapped his fingers.

“Shikamaru, play back the tape, but this time, focus on Sasuke’s briefcase.”

Shikamaru obeyed and played the film. Everyone watched the case carefully. Only Sasuke and the stewardess had touched it.

“And since Sasuke had no idea about it,….” Kakashi started.

“The woman was in on it. She did it.” Shikamaru finished. “And since she was part of it, she must have successfully escaped.”

“Meaning?” Ten Ten inquired.

“Meaning that she’s still out there; probably hunting them down to finish the job.”

“But she doesn’t know that they might have survived, right?” Iruka interjected.

“She might not now, but who’s to say that she and her pilot buddy won’t find them sooner or later?” Shikamaru steepled his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. The seat creaked loudly in the quiet room.

“Well then.  We better find them before something happens.”

**xXx**

Kabuto walked down the dark hallway. His footsteps echoing loudly, he pushed past a set of double doors and entered a dim office. Getting down on one knee, he looked up at the person shrouded in shadow sitting in the chair.

“Orochimaru. Sakura has completed the task. She has successfully taken out Sasuke Uchiha. Now all that is left is to watch the Uchiha empire crumble and for us to rise out of its ashes.”

The person in the chair laughed cruelly and leaned forward, shifting into the light. His long straight, black hair drifted into his face. His snake –like eyes shined with satisfaction as he regarded the employee before him.

“And how has dear Itachi taken this news?

Kabuto smiled widely and tilted his head to the side. Catching a glare on his glasses, he eyes became hidden behind his glasses.

“Excellently. He reacted just as I thought he would.

Orochimaru cackled, his long white hands rubbing together. Drumming them lightly on the table, he fingered a black fountain pen. “And where is our lady of the hour?”

Kabuto frowned and stood up, his lips pressed in thin line.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t received any word from her. She might not have made it off in time.”

Orochimaru grinned evilly, his long black hair sliding into his face. Standing up, he held his hands behind his back and walked out of the room.

“No matter. She can be replaced.”


	14. Bringin' Sexy Back

Sasuke kissed Naruto’s plump lips. Biting gently on the blonde’s lower lip, he shoved his tongue in when the lips parted. Shifting to the front of Naruto, he used his left hand to tilt the smaller man’s head up while his right continued its venture downward. Refusing to part, he leaned into Naruto who was forced to lean back to accommodate, placing the raven directly between his legs. Leaving the bruised mouth, his lips dragged across golden skin and peppered kisses down to Naruto’s neck, tasting the salty flavor of his skin. There he left a trail of strawberry marks. His straight pale nose skimming along the blonde’s jawline, he made his way to the sensitive ears and sucked on a lobe, nipping at it lightly.

Naruto moaned and let his head fall back, giving more access to the raven’s wandering, hot, wet, mouth. His heart rate spiked as the taller man got closer, their bodies touching and causing sizzling reactions. Sasuke’s hand teased him through the fabric of the boxers as he shivered from the attention on his ears. The pale hand rubbed and tugged on Naruto’s growing problem, gently caressing the increasingly damp tip.

“Nggh. Hah…….”

Groaning, Naruto twitched and tried to grind against the hand at his crotch. Sasuke chuckled, his voice resonating deeply in his chest. He kissed the blond again, this time deeper. His tongue slipped in, savoring the sweet strawberry taste he had been craving. His felt the smaller man’s tongue moved against his, engaging in a tango of dominance. Taking the upper hand, Sasuke deepened the kiss even more, establishing his place in the wet cavern. His searching muscle memorized the feel and taste of the blond, the texture of the teeth and movement of the cavern’s guardian. Breaking apart, he panted heavily and looked down at the disheveled man almost underneath him. Naruto’s eyes were clouded with lust. The gorgeous sapphire gems were fuzzy with need and demanded to be satisfied.

His entire body was burning up. The cold of the rain was all but forgotten, a distant memory. He was drowning in obsidian eyes, lost in their scorching gaze. Glaring up at the person who was causing him all sorts of distresses, Naruto pushed himself up with his hands and toppled the raven backwards. He quickly sat on Sasuke’s hips and pinned his hands down. He felt something hard jabbing into his ass, a nice reminder of what was to come. Panting, he grinned down at the trapped man.

“Ha….looks like……you weren’t….. _up_ to the challenge.”

Sasuke lifted a brow and shook his head slightly, his chest moving up and down rapidly with his breath. “No, but I’m down with it.” Bucking his hips up, Sasuke unbalanced the blond and let out a gust of air when said blond fell against his chest with a thump. Yanking one hand loose, he tugged Naruto’s face towards his and pushed his lips against the smaller man’s, shoving his tongue in deep when he gained access in. Managing to free his other hand from the increasingly loose grip of Naruto’s, he gently wound it in the spikey blond hair and firmly held the head in place while he ravished the mouth viciously.

Tearing his mouth away, Naruto’s chest was heaving, his lungs begging for air. He grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and yanked him up, putting them face-to-face. He licked and sucked his way up the pale neck, reveling in the fact that the bastard’s breathing hitched. His own breath stopped when he felt a familiar warm hand wrap around his erection. The hot hand slid into his boxers and began to stroke him up and down, tightening and loosening alternately. His cock already slick with pre-cum, the hand slid to the base and tugged; his length jumped in response.

“Fuck…..Sasuke….”

Naruto groaned out. Sasuke smirked and stopped his ministrations. Moving his hands down to the blond’s hips, he thrust his hips up, grinding their covered erections together. Naruto’s hands dug into the raven’s shoulders, leaving small bruises where his fingers were. Sasuke attacked the tan skin in front of him, nibbling near Naruto’s clavicle and making his way down, simultaneously shoving the blond off of him.

Naruto landed with a thump on his back and Sasuke immediately pounced on the fallen blond. Climbing in between Naruto’s legs, Sasuke planted his hands on either side of Naruto’s head and bent down. He latched on to the tan neck and sucked, leaving more red marks on the golden skin. Licking a path down, he reached a nipple and scraped his teeth on it, smirking when Naruto cried out in pleasure. Drawing the bud into his mouth he caressed it with his tongue, feeling it peak in his mouth. Biting down on it, he felt the smaller man’s hand slide into his hair and pull at it.

“Fuck! I’m not a fucking girl, Sasuke!”

Sasuke grinned wolfishly. Bringing up a knee, he pushed against Naruto’s cock, putting pressure on it. He felt it jump and twitch against his knee, begging for relief.

“I know, dobe. I know.”

Sasuke’s mouth released the pert nipple and made its way to the other one, giving it the same attention as the other. Sasuke gave the nipple one last long, hot lick and ventured down, marking his way as he went. Naruto continued to moan, sweat dripping down his temple as he resisted the urge to shove the raven all the way down and pay his friend some attention. Gasping, he felt the bastard’s tongue gently dip into his navel, circling the rim and nipping the skin around it. Screwing his eyes shut, he groaned and clenched his fists, his body feeling hot and uncomfortable. He felt out of control and desperate; Sasuke was causing his nerves to sing with desire and he wanted more.

Sasuke finally was face to face with the tattoo that had captured his attention. His eyes traced the spiral, and were soon followed by his tongue. Naruto bucked up; Sasuke’s fiery tongue shot blots of pleasure to his already stiff erection, making his boxers unbearably tight. Sasuke moved his hands to hold down the bucking hips, gripping them tightly in his pale grasp.

Finishing up with his navel, Sasuke continued his downward course and found a pair of hideous orange boxers in his face. The front was in the shape of a tent. Finding that they blocked what he searched, he let go of Naruto’s hips and swiftly yanked them down, pulling a bit harder when they caught on Naruto’s length. Seeing his target made his own cock jerk with anticipation and his boxers extremely annoying.

Naruto hissed as his cock was released from its cloth prison. The cool air felt amazing on his burning hot erection. His eyes popped open when he felt a sudden draft blow across the head, making it twitch. Lifting his head off the ground, all he saw was a mop of spikey midnight hair brush his thighs before his world became a fuzzy cloud of intense pleasure. Feeling Sasuke’s sizzling hot mouth envelope his cock, Naruto let out a yelp as the raven gave a hard suck and let his head fall back, no longer able to keep it up. The pale man’s wet muscle slid along his length, licking up the cum that had leaked out.

Sasuke let the cock slide out of his mouth and smirked at the state he found the dobe in. Naruto’s face was red and scrunched up, with his arm thrown across his face to hide his expression. Swiping his tongue over the tip, he blew on it gently. Naruto let out a quiet mewl as the skin wet from Sasuke’s saliva burned as the cool gust of air hit it. Sasuke stopped and stared at the blond in astonishment, his fathomless eyes watching the smaller man. _Did he just mewl? Like a cat?_

Naruto felt his face burn even hotter with embarrassment. Clamping a hand over his mouth, his heart pounded in his chest as he realized what had come out of his mouth. _I did NOT just do that……I did not….Fuck, I’m not gonna last much longer at this rate. Fucking bastard is too good at what he’s doing…_ Making his hand a fist, he bit it as he felt a ball of heat begin in his abdomen. Biting the fist even harder, his breaths turned to pants as he was steadily reaching his climax.

“Sa…..S’ke. Dammit….”

Sasuke felt pride rise in him as he pushed the blond to his breaking point. Making it a personal goal to make Naruto as vocal as he could get him, Sasuke upped his game and increased his pace. The dobe’s tangy taste invaded his mouth as he licked the throbbing cock, swallowing it deeper. His own cock was twitching with excitement every time he heard another delicious moan leave the dobe, enticing him to keep going. Scraping his teeth along the slit of Naruto’s cock, he nibbled along the shaft and grinned when the muffled moans of need reached his ears. He gave the head one last suck before he took his mouth off of it and bent over Naruto and kissed him, letting the smaller man taste himself. Reaching down, his hand gripped the base and pumped up and down quickly.

“Aaah, fuck…..Ngghh.”

Naruto’s hands reached up and anchored themselves in Sasuke’s hair, fisting the strands and pulling his lips closer. Biting Sasuke’s lower lip, he sucked on it and drew it into his mouth, nibbling on it as his breathing turned to gasps. Suddenly, his hands tightened painfully in Sasuke’s hair and a spasm shot through him. Cumming in Sasuke’s hand, he gasped heavily as he thrust unconsciously in the pale hand. His vision went blurry and he began to drift down form the high.

Sasuke smirked cockily and tasted the tan column of Naruto’s neck. While the blond was still in happy town, he would use this moment to prepare him. Letting go of the smaller man’s tan cock, he let his cum covered hand drift lower. Finding a puckered entrance, he gently circled it with his finger, not yet pushing in. Attacking the blond’s mouth, he used his tongue to distract him from the pain he would be feeling. Their tongues dancing wildly, he slid a finger in slowly. Noting that the blond man didn’t seem to notice, he pushed in deeper and began to ever so slowly pull out and push back in. Naruto’s tongue slowed down and Sasuke felt the blond wince.

Naruto broke the kiss, his breath ragged and heavy. Hissing, he knew that he needed to be prepared, but shit, it was painful. Knowing that Sasuke was trying to be gentle not to hurt him, Naruto got impatient and pushed back against the wandering finger.

“Teme, hurry up! I’m not a wimp, I can take it.”

Sasuke paused and looked down at Naruto. Determination mixed in with lust in the oceans of blue. Not trusting his voice, Sasuke nodded and pushed another finger in and stretched the circle of muscles. Licking the pink nipples on the tan chest, he inserted another finger, curling them and searching for that one spot. Deeming the tan man prepared enough, he pulled his three fingers out and yanked off his boxers. His erection proudly stood up, happy that it would finally get some action after all the teasing it had been through. He spit into his hand and slowly rubbed it up and down on his length, making sure to have some sort of lubrication. His black eyes watched Naruto’s face as he gripped the tan knees and spread them apart, giving him more room. Scooting closer, he carefully watched the dobe’s face for any sign of discomfort.

Naruto felt the mushroom head of Sasuke’s cock at his entrance and was nervous. Although he knew what to do, he had no experience. This was entirely unmarked territory and he was a bit anxious. Strangely, instead of having the slightest bit of fear, he felt completely comfortable in Sasuke’s care. The fingers that were inside him felt painful and awkward, but after a little bit, he was used to them. Feeling Sasuke’s shaft touch where the sun never shined made him feel curiously calm and ready. He then felt Sasuke enter him and his let out a pain filled yelp.

“Shit Naruto….you’re fucking tight…..” Sasuke gritted his teeth, his member fully surrounded by delicious heat.

“Oh fuck, just…..give me …..a minute…” Naruto hissed out.

Sasuke slid in until he was fully sheathed inside the dobe and paused. His cock was enveloped by Naruto and it felt amazing. The tight grip he was incased in pulled at him and had his muscles bunching in effort not to start pumping in wildly. After a bit, he began to pull out and go back in, biting his own lip as he refused to let out any noises.

“O-okay. I’m good.”

His body crying out in relief, Sasuke began to pump in faster and faster. His cock slid in and out of the tight cavern, feeling it twitch and tighten around him. Suddenly, Naruto’s muscles clamped down on him, gripping him deliciously.

“Oh, Jesus! Fuck!”

Naruto’s vision went white. Tiny dots began to dance across his eyes. Sasuke’s cock had thrust in deeply and had touched something. Any lingering trace of pain disappeared as it was replaced with deep waves of pleasure.

“W-What?” Sasuke asked hoarsely, his throat raw with unreleased groans.

Sasuke stilled and waited for Naruto to respond. Naruto’s legs came up and wrapped around his waist like a vise.

“Bastard, don’t stop. If you don’t….keep going, I’m going to fucking kill you…and Kyuubi will help…...”

Naruto glared at the raven, a blush heavy on his face. Sasuke grinned sinfully and began to thrust earnestly. His hips were snapping back and forth, each time going deeper and deeper, reaching areas untouched in the smaller man. His cock pushed against Naruto’s prostate, quickly bringing the smaller man’s length back to life. Smashing their lips together, Sasuke slammed forward, his cock pounding into the blond.

Naruto let out more groans, this time getting louder and louder. Sasuke was hitting his prostate dead on, making his head swim in euphoria. Crying out as Sasuke thrust in deeper and harder, causing his own cock to jump up and down with the movement. Sasuke’s hot hand slid to the tan weeping member and began to pump harshly as his mouth latched on to a sensitive ear. His stomach tightening into a ball of fire, Naruto’s ragged breathing matched Sasuke’s as they both neared their completion.

His thrusts increasing in pace, Sasuke leaned forward even more, trapping Naruto’s length between their stomachs. The increased pleasure was enough to send the blond careening over the edge. Shouting out, he came harshly; ropes of his essence covered their stomachs. Sasuke felt Naruto tightening unbearably and couldn’t take it. Biting the blonde’s shoulder, he came in the smaller man, coating his insides thoroughly. Pumping half-heartedly and grunting, Sasuke rode the orgasm down, prolonging it.

“Jesus, fuck. Naruto…..god.”

Both utterly exhausted, they drifted down from the pleasure high. Sasuke collapsed on the blonde, managing barely enough energy to pull out and roll to the side. Their heavy breathing filled the atmosphere of the shelter. The thick smell of sex surrounded them. Sasuke felt as his lips quirk into a smile. He hadn’t had much experience in sexual relationships, but that was the hardest he had ever come. His limp body felt completely satisfied and drunk with pleasure. Drifting to sleep in the after-sex glow, he turned to his side and pulled the blond closer to him, tucking the mop of wild hair underneath his chin and spooning the smaller man’s back.

Naruto’s mind was hazy and relaxed. His first time had been mind-blowingly fantastic. Having no energy whatsoever, he was surprised and intrigued when he felt Sasuke tug him closer. Feeling satisfied and comfortable next to the raven, he drifted off to sleep.

**~xXx~**

The day began to wind down slowly. The office personnel once again seemed to slowly disperse, leaving the brunette and the silver-haired man alone. They had spent the entire rest of the day thinking of all the possible places the plane and the teens could have landed on. Instead of finding answers to the questions they had, they left with even more questions. Everyone said their farewells and had gone home.

Kakashi looked down at his Rolex and lifted an eyebrow. They somehow had managed to work past lunch time, making it hours since the last time he and Iruka had eaten. He looked over at the brunette who had slumped over on a table and was snoozing quietly. He had laid his head on his arms, his face in Kakashi’s direction. Strands of Iruka’s hair had come free from the band that usually kept it up and had drifted down to his face. His appeared peaceful in his slumber, oblivious to what was going on. Kakashi considered romantically carrying the smaller man out, but knew that if he did, he more than likely would end up jostling the man awake and facing his embarrassed wrath. He’d have to settle for waking the man up without picking him up.

He strode over to Iruka and gently nudged his shoulder. The brunette’s eyes scrunched up but refused to open. He simply turned his face away and settled down. Kakashi nudged him again, this time harder. The tan man responded by groaning and mumbling, burrowing his face into his arms.

“’-kashi, stop. Not..here…”.

Kakashi froze, his mismatched eyes widening in shock. Intrigued, he cocked his head and poked the sleeping man. _Did Iruka just say my name in his sleep? What is he dreaming about? What does he mean, “not here”?_

“-said no……Later….”

Grinning mischievously, Kakashi stared down at the smaller man. _He_ did _say my name. Later what?....What are we doing?...Hm…..”_

Bending over the man’s body, he purred quietly into the tan ear; his lips lightly brushing the shell.

“Maa, Iruka. Why can’t we do it now? Why wait until later?”

The sleeping man’s tan skin seemed to flush pink and he twitched.

“…people…..watching….no”

“Let them watch.” He whispered, impossibly getting even closer. “I know how to put on a show.”

Iruka’s sleepy voice was causing interesting reactions. _I wonder what his bedroom voice sounds like……after a nice long round, with no breaks and just pure, unadulterated, pleasure…..._ His words seemed to cause shivers to run across the sleeping man’s body, making shift in his sleep. Chuckling, his laughter woke the smaller man. Blinking groggily, Iruka lifted his head up and ended up staring Kakashi in the face. Inches apart, the mismatched eyes of the taller man bore into chocolate ones, an unreadable expression on his face. Feeling his face flush, Iruka couldn’t tear his eyes away from ones looking into his. The sweet smell of something mint-like drifted into his nose, making him suddenly have the urge for something minty. His mind still foggy from sleep and wanting the taste of mints, he spoke.

“Do you have any gum?”

Kakashi blinked. One eyebrow arching up, he leaned away from the brunette. Wordlessly, he patted his pockets and pulled out a small gum package. Taking out a stick, he handed it to Iruka; an odd expression on his face.

“Iruka, what were you dreaming about?”

Iruka’s eyes widened comically when he remembered. His face burning with heat, he pressed his lips together. He took the piece from Kakashi and unwrapped.

“N-Nothing. I didn’t dream of anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes I am. Why do you ask?” Iruka asked, his mouth a bit dry. His voice cracking a bit, he cleared his throat and popped in the gum.

“Oh, no reason. You just spoke my name whilst sleeping. Well, time to go home.”

Kakashi walked out of the room, his coat over his shoulder. Whistling, he discreetly adjusted the front of his pants. Interesting reactions indeed.

Iruka stared in horror after Kakashi. Monumentally mortified, he groaned and dropped his head on the table. The taste of mint invaded his mouth, adding to his embarrassment. _What did I say? Oh no….. He knows I was dreaming about him! God, can I get anymore pathetic?_ Sighing, he forced himself to push away his dream and followed the taller man home.


	15. Hear Me Roar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep forgetting to update this :/

The smell of wet wood and salt drifted into his nose. The warm hug of sunlight and heat fell inside the shelter, bringing the blond man to the world of consciousness. His nose wrinkling, he lifted a heavy hand to scratch it. His eyes fluttering open, he squinted in the bright morning sunlight. The sky was now a bright blue, almost blue enough to rival his azure pools. Leaning up, he was stopped by a pale arm wrapped tightly around his abdomen, holding him flush against a pale body. His mind replaying yesterday, a blush dusted across his face. Squirming, he winced as a spark of pain shot up his spine from his ass. _Shit, ow. Jesus, the bastard did it as hard as he could, didn’t he? Looks like moving around is going to be painful. Stupid teme._

Gritting his teeth, he pried the arm off of him and sat up, cursing under his breath. His side felt cold without the warmth of Sasuke’s body on his. Stretching a bit, he felt something on his stomach making it itchy. Glancing down, he saw that his cum was crusted on his stomach. The white fluid had hardened and had begun to flake off. Grimacing, he picked at it and slowly crawled out of the shelter. Regarding the sleeping figure behind him, he noticed that Sasuke had nail marks and scratches on his pale shoulders. Inspecting his own cuticles, he saw the small traces of blood caked around the nail bed. Embarrassed, he looked away. _When did I?...What am I, a cat?..._ Shaking his head, he continued his crawl to get out and slowly stood up. He yelped lightly as his sore muscles and joints groaned in pain, yesterday’s antics had tired them out. Feeling something strange near his puckered entrance, he very gingerly touched the tender area with his pointer finger. His finger came away with cum lightly dripping from it.

“Aw, gross. Stupid Teme doesn’t know how to pull out. How the hell do I clean _that_ out?”

Lost, Naruto limped over to the water and waded into the deeper water. Scrubbing his stomach with his hand, he cleaned off the dry flakes. He cupped more of the crystal clear water in his hands and poured it on his back. It wasn’t as itchy anymore; the aloe had soothed the ache and had brought down the slight inflammation. He awkwardly stood in the water, staring at the fish, nearby, and wondering how to get clean from _inside_. His eyebrows furrowing, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Do I…..poop it out? Gahh! Next time, there better be a fucking condom!” He froze; His blue eyes widened impossibly as he felt the white fluid inside him slowly leak out and disperse into the water. After a while, he awkwardly deemed the majority had come out and began to wade out of the water. _That has to be the weirdest feeling in the world._ Uncomfortable, he made his way to where Sasuke had ripped off his boxers. They were almost outside the shelter; thankfully nice and dry, he stepped into them and pulled them up. His shirt had been soaked in the rain, but the hot morning sun had dried it up, making the material a bit stiff. Slipping it over his head, he located his pants. Unfortunately, the heavy material had not dried yet; it was heavy with water. Dropping them off to the side, he wandered over to his shelter. Kyuubi had stayed underneath the fallen shelter, almost completely dry. Frowning, he inspected the teepee. _I did tell Sasuke I’d make a better one…..and he is asleep….._ Nodding to himself, he decided to fix up his shelter up and prove to Sasuke that he could make a good one. Wincing as he bent down, he picked up Kyuubi and gave a last glance at the sleeping raven. Sasuke was curled up on his side; his black hair was strewn around his pale face. Feeling a bit bad about leaving him alone, Naruto headed back over to the shelter. Grabbing Sasuke’s shirt, he draped it over his crotch while blushing lightly. Sasuke was well endowed and Naruto was not one to complain. The fact that he had _that_ inside of him was shocking. Holding his gaze away from his nether regions, Naruto watched to see if the raven would wake up. Sasuke did not stir; his chest moved up and down gently with every breaths.

Naruto soon left the campsite and headed into the woods. Clutching Kyuubi, he wandered deep into the jungle. He noticed that the air was extremely humid. The leaves on the ground were soaked and let off an air of wet dirt. Carefully avoiding stepping on random rocks scattered around, he talked to Kyuubi as he wandered.

“So Kyuubi, did you enjoy your shower yesterday?”

“…”

“Look, it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t make the teepee fall down. It was the weather.”

“…”

“No, I couldn’t have taken you with me. Sasuke dragged me off to his shelter and I was not going back out.”

“…”

“….No! I did not plan for that! How did you even see us?! You were across the clearing!”

“..”

“I don’t care what you say, it was spontaneous.” He jumped lightly over a fallen tree and walked on the crunchy leaves covering the ground.

“…”

Naruto paused his walking and glared down at the small basketball. The palm fronds had begun to drop and the soot had almost completely washed off. He gave the ball the evil eye before resuming his walk.

“No, you can’t say I you told you so. I almost didn’t. Besides, I-!”

Stepping awkwardly on a moss covered rock, Naruto slipped on the damp green life and fell down in slow motion. Shocked, he watched at the world spun on its axis and turned everything upside down. The rock in question was perched on the edge of a small ravine filled with sharp rocks and muck. Tumbling down, he let out a cry as he slammed down on the ravine wall and rolled down the incline. Kyuubi flew up and out of his hands. The ball landed outside of the ravine with a thump and rolled a bit away before coming to a stop.

Naruto landed heavily on the rocky bed. He let out pained gasps as his previously tender bum had now reached a whole new level of pain in the ass. Having hit his head on several of the thick, hard rocks he blinked and squinted as he waited for his vision to stop swimming and focus. Ears ringing, he lightly touched his stinging forehead. A long gash was now there, right above his right eye. The blood trickled down his eyebrow and ran into the corner of his eye. Continuing its descent, it left the eye and met up with a tan chin, making it look like the blond had bloody tears. Looking over his body for injuries, he saw that he had several nicks and bruises now peppering his tan skin.

“Jesus, fuck! Fucking shit that hurt! What the hell happened?”

He poked at a dark red bruise forming on his knee before glancing around the ravine. He had luckily landed on the softer part of the stony ground, avoiding the spikey rocks jutting out of the ground.

Gingerly attempting to get to his knees, he clutched at the rocks poking out of the ravine wall and hoisted himself up. He got as far as getting shakily and painfully on his legs before his left ankle had a spasm of pain and gave out and he landed harshly on his knees, slicing open the previous bruise.

“Shit! Jesus, that hurts!”

He plopped down and cried out again at the new wave of pain washing over him. _Dammit, I hurt all over. How the hell am I supposed to get out?_ The blond winced as he shifted position and hit his injured ankle. Examining his ankle, he noticed that it had swelled up and was extremely sore. Taking off his shirt, he pressed it to his forehead and tried to stifle the flow of blood from the gash. _What am I going to do?_

**xXx**

Sasuke’s eyes cracked open as his dobe pried himself loose. He was a light sleeper; the smallest amount of noise woke him up instantly. Watching the blonde survey his body through the strands of his hair covering his face, he was satisfied to see the smaller man wince as he moved. Curiously, he watched as the blonde waded into the water and griped about a condom. Internally grinning wolfishly, Sasuke settled down comfortably. His body was a bit sore from the strenuous activity, but it was a satisfied sore, one you get when you stretch after sitting down for too long. Noticing the blonde coming back, he slid his eyes almost completely shut and watched, interestedly. Naruto draped his shirt over his dick and was blushing. Feeling cocky and smug, he kept still to see if anything would happen. To his slight disappointment, Naruto left him and wandered out of the clearing with his ball. He had told the ball that he was going to fix his teepee. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke simply rolled on his side and drifted back to sleep. _The dobe won’t wander too far. He’s going to have to work hard to fix his train wreck._ Drowsy, he coasted back into the realm of dreams.

His fathomless eyes shot open. _Things are quiet. Too quiet. Where is Naruto?_ Sasuke sat up and gazed around. He had, maybe, been dozing for around 10 minutes, and Naruto was not back. Suspiciously seeing no sign of the hyperactive, smaller man, Sasuke got out of the shelter and stood up, wincing slightly as he stretched the healing skin on his shoulders. _Naruto has some damn sharp nails._ Fingering one of the small abrasions, he brought a finger to his face and saw blood. Shrugging, he wiped it off on a nearby leaf and slipped into the water to get clean. After washing up, he pulled on the shirt and tugged on his boxers. He retrieved his pants and slid into them before diving into the green world.

He had been wandering around for a while. Upon finding no signs of his dobe, he began to worry slightly. Keeping a cool head, he went to the places he knew the blonde would most likely visit to help fix his teepee. After exhausting every idea that came to him, his worrying increased. _Where is he? The island isn’t that big and I doubt he would venture far._ He began to search through the areas that had thicker foliage and that were harder to cross through. _Green. Green. Green everywhere. Where the hell did he go?_ Getting annoyed with the scenery, he yearned to see the mop of blonde hair. Finding something, he stopped cold. Blinking several times to make sure he was seeing correctly, he stared at the object. It was Kyuubi, Naruto’s basketball friend. Strolling over to it, he picked it up and dusted it off. Looking around, he searching for its owner.

“Naruto!”

He was immediately answered.

“Sasuke?! That you, bastard?!”

His eyes narrowing in surprise, he heard Naruto from close by, but still didn’t see him.

“Naruto! Where are you, dobe?”

“I’m down here! I sort of fell…”

Following the sound of the blonde’s voice, Sasuke found himself looking over at a dirtied and bloodied Naruto at the bottom of a steep ravine. It wasn’t too far down, but it would be a hassle to get him out. Meeting the smaller man’s azure gaze, he lifted an eyebrow. Smiling sheepishly, Naruto rubbed his neck.

“I slipped on a rock and I can’t get out. I landed on my leg and, now, it’s swollen.”

Sasuke used his position to take inventory of the blonde’s wounds. His ankle was swollen, severely. He had a large cut over his head that wasn’t bleeding, his knees were bleeding, and he was covered with dirt and had rocks sticking to his skin, slightly embedded. Sighing, he shook his head and began to think of ways to get the smaller man out. It wasn’t going to be easy.

After many attempts, Sasuke decided that it would be best to go down Naruto and help push him out of the ditch. Naruto could barely support his weight on his injured leg and was unable to climb out. Sasuke tried pulling him out, but that resulted in dragging Naruto on the sharp rocks. Carefully making his way down, Sasuke dropped the ball and received a dark glare from Naruto. Once he was safely on the ground, he gave Naruto a look over to make sure he was okay.

“Okay dobe. Try to climb out and I’ll help by pushing you out.”

Naruto stared at him. “That’s your plan? Grab my ass and shove me out?”

Sasuke shrugged and smirked at him. “Do you have any better ideas?”

Naruto shook his head slowly. He bit his lips as his cheeks took on a rosy color.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the raven.

“The problem is that my ass is currently in pain, thanks to _someone_. It hurts to even sit, you bastard.”

Sasuke smirked smugly. “Not my fault you’re a virgin. Were.” He corrected himself with an air of arrogance.

Naruto’s blush increased tenfold. Gritting his teeth, he tried to anger the raven. “No, I wasn’t a virgin. It’s just that I haven’t done it in a long time. It won’t be that bad next time.

Sasuke grinned. He eyed the blond. “You can’t get enough of me, so you want have another round?”

Naruto glowered at Sasuke. “NO. I meant when I get back home.” He didn’t really have anyone waiting for him, but Sasuke didn’t need to know that. “I have a girl waiting for me.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed down. His smirk began to droop as his jealousy shot up. “You said you didn’t have a girlfriend.” The thought of another person touching his personal property made his skin burn and his blood boil.

“I don’t. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a fuck buddy waiting for me when I get home.”

Sasuke’s smile slid completely off his face. His dark eyes flashing dangerously, he stalked over to the blond and grabbed him by the shoulders. His fingers tightly gripping the blonde, he stared straight into the azure orbs.

“No, you’re _mine_!”

He slammed his mouth down on the blonde’s and forced his tongue in. Using the smaller man’s shocked gasp, he invaded the wet cavern and tangoed with his tongue. Naruto was surprised at Sasuke’s sudden burst of possessiveness and jealousy. Naruto struggled against the raven’s rough kiss. He felt offended at being treated like a possession, but soon began to feel slightly pleased at being claimed and began to respond eagerly.

Sasuke spoke against the pink lips, sucking the bottom one into his mouth, nibbling on it. “Nobody touches what’s mine. _Nobody, but me_.” His hands snuck down to Naruto’s ass and grabbed handfuls of tan bum. He eased slightly when he heard the smaller man let out a small hiss of pain.

Naruto’s hands wound themselves around Sasuke’s neck and clutched the dark strands of Sasuke’s silky hair. His body began to burn scalding hot as the kiss deepened. Sasuke’s cold pale hands roamed over his torso, tracing the contours of his stomach. Naruto knew if they continued, he would be in more pain. Despite this, he used his mouth to let the raven know he wanted it.

Sasuke felt the blonde edge closer and knew what he was asking for. His hands drifted to the blonde’s boxers and froze as he heard something that made his blood run cold:

The deep reverberating growl of a large lethal cat prowling around.

**xXx~In Bed~xXx**

The shrill ringing of a phone jarred Kakashi out of his slumber. Evilly eyeing the cell phone, he yanked it off of the bed stand and glared at it. _Wait, this isn’t mine. This is Iruka’s. Who the hell is calling at this time in the morning?_ Squinting into the excruciatingly bright screen, his vision was too blurry to focus properly on the letters. Peeking over at the brunette, Iruka appeared to be deep in sleep. He was once again curled up against his body, one tan hand on his pale chest. His mouth was open and he was mumbling incoherently every now and then. Not wanting to wake the brunette, he answered to phone.

*Beep*

“Hello?”

“Iruka! Thank goodness it’s you! Where-……? Who is this?”

“Kakashi Hatake. And you would be?”

The voice on the opposite side turned suspicious. It answered politely.

“Kurenai Yuhi. May I ask where Iruka is?”

Kakashi glanced at the smaller man. “He’s asleep right now. We had a long night.”

Kurenai stared at the phone is surprise, her red eyes wide open. _Is he saying what I think he is?........Oh my._ She put the phone on speaker and called over several people. Crowding around the phone, everyone began to whisper amongst themselves.

Kakashi heard scuffling and random voices in the background. Curious, he laid back and put an arm behind his head. He observed the ceiling as he held the phone to his ear. A few odd noises were heard until another female voice came on.

-seriously? But are they -oh, hello?”

Kakashi smiled smugly at the thought of the commotion his comment made. It wasn’t his fault they jumped to conclusions. “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Shizune. May I ask you a few questions regarding Iruka?”

Kakashi slipped is free hand into Iruka’s hair. Gently pulling the strands and letting them fall through his fingers, he agreed.

“Sure. Ask away.”

“Okay. One, where is he?”

“Sleeping right next to me.”

“……two, is he okay?”

“He’s fine, just tired.”

“Three, are you in a relationship with him?”

Kakashi pursed his lips and contemplated this. His mismatched eyes shining with mischief, he decided to kick it up a notch. The whispering in the background fell silent as they waited for his answer.

“Indeed we are. But Iruka says to keep it under wraps, so if you were to ask him, he might deny rather vehemently.”

“Well this is certainly surprising.” A third female voice spoke up. This one sounded older than the other two.

“Why is that?” Kakashi wondered why all of them sounded so surprised. Was it really that shocking that he was pretending to be dating their friend?

“We had all been convinced that Iruka was asexual. He never took interest in anyone and would never go out. How did you meet?”

“We simply hit it off a couple of days ago.”

The voice fell silent. Then it spoke up; an incredulous tone pouring through.

“A couple of _days_ ago? Are you certain we are still talking about the same man?”

Kakashi grinned. “I’ve been known to be irresistible. Speaking of which, he’s waking up.”

Iruka yawned widely. Licking his lips, he rubbed his eyes as he drifted into the world of consciousness. He had heard a voice speaking. Blinking sleepily, he realized that Kakashi was on the phone. More specifically, on his phone. The silver haired man was engaged in a deep conversation with someone. Pushing off of the pale body he was basically draped on with a deep red blush, Iruka yanked the phone out of his hand and curtly spoke into it as he sat up.

“I’m sorry about that. This is Iruka.” He fidgeted as Kakashi’s hand began to sift through his hair, making his scalp tingle.

“Iruka!!!”

Iruka winced as a voice he knew very well yelled at him. Tsunade. Feeling bad that he hadn’t gotten in touch with his friends back home, he apologized.

“Tsunade, hello. I’m extremely sorry I haven’t gotten in touch with you sooner. A lot of things happened after Naruto got on the plane and now he is-“

“Iruka, you sly dog, you! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? So, who is the lucky man?” Tsunade’s voice turned devious. She had on a Cheshire smile painted on.

Confused, Iruka pulled the phone from his ear and looked at it. Lifting an eyebrow, he returned the phone to his ear.

“Tsunade, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh come on Iruka. He sounds sexy. What does he look like? ……..is he any good in the sack?”

Iruka furrowed his brows as his confusion mounted. Glancing over at Kakashi who was grinning _too_ cheerfully, Iruka’s eyebrows shot up as he realized what they were implying. Mortified, his face burned a bright red.

“Oh nononono, it’s not what it seems!”

Tsunade grinned as he repudiated it. It was just like the mystery man said; he would try to deny it. “Never mind that, just answer the question! How is he? He did say you were tired, so I’m assuming he’s pretty damn good.”

Iruka facepalmed and groaned. Once Tsunade got an idea in her head, it wouldn’t get out no matter how hard he tried. He glared over at his companion and gave him the evil eye. “This is your fault”, he mouthed at him before turning his attention back to the phone call.

“For the last time, there is nothing going on between Kakashi and I. He is simply helping me out, that’s all. Nothing more, nothing else.”

“Helping you out with what? Getting rid of your eternal dry spell?”

Overhearing the conversation, Kakashi burst out laughing. His whole body shook as he howled. Eyebrow twitching and temper rising, Iruka shoved the man off the bed roughly, his face like a tomato. His childish antics only made the taller man laugh harder. Tsunade heard the laughter and joined in, along with all those crowding around her. Feeling irritated, Iruka decided to drop the serious news to sober them up.

“Naruto is missing.”

On cue, all of the laughter ceased. Even Kakashi’s chuckles died down. Kakashi decided to leave him alone to explain and went down to prepare breakfast. Iruka had made him shop for food, so the refrigerator was fully stocked.

“What do you mean, Naruto is missing?”

Iruka sighed and explained the long story and everything that had happened. The more he explained, the quieter the voices got on the other side. Finishing up, he rubbed his mouth and raked a hand through his hair.

“Is there anything we can do to help over here?”

“I’m afraid not. These people know more and have more resources.” He suddenly thought of something. Tsunade never called him. _So why should she call now? Even if I don’t respond, she never does….._

“Tsunade, you never call me. Did something happen?”

Tsunade’s voice bounced back from the seriousness it had. “Well we had a little incident.”

Iruka’s eyes narrowed and an eyebrow spiked up. “What kind of incident?”

“Well,…Asuma broke the printer again and left his cigarette on the desk, lighting the nearby papers on fire which made the fire department have to pay us a visit. Shizune locked the file cabinets and lost the keys, Kurenai spilled coffee on your desktop and-“ Shizune’s voice cut in.

“I did not lose them; they simply were not where I left them! And you, you got drunk and tried to get the clients to go to the bar with you!”

At once, the ladies began to bicker amongst themselves as Iruka groaned and thought of the mess waiting for him back home. Rubbing the scar on his nose, he shook his head.

“How did this happen?” He asked disbelievingly.

“It seems you’re the glue that keeps us together and in proper working order. Do you have any idea when you’re coming back? Is your man coming along too?

Iruka looked down at the bed sheets and fiddled with them, twisting the material between his fingers. Sighing, he answered.

“No, I don’t know when I’ll be returning. And no, he will not be coming with me.”

A pang of sadness and loneliness struck him at the thought of leaving the silver haired man behind, but it was inevitable. Whatever they felt would not last. He would simply return and go back to living the way he had….

Tsunade picked up on the undertone of sadness. Confused, she wanted to bring it up, but knew the brunette would close his mouth tighter than a clam. She chose her words carefully.

“Iruka, you’ve always thought of others and selflessly put their happiness in front of your needs. You deserve to find happiness of your own. If that fellow makes you happy, you should go for it. I don’t want to see you coming back here and regretting the decision you made to leave him. Well, it’s back to work now. You bring that boy back and make sure to have a little fun.”

Not waiting for him to respond, she hung up. Iruka stared speechless at the phone. He felt glad that his longtime friend was looking out for him. He felt happy that she wanted him to be in a healthy relationship. It also saddened him. As much as he did find the taller man attractive, he felt that he might be misreading the man’s kindness for something else. Pushing aside the thoughts bombarding his mind, he crawled out of bed and got dressed. Walking down the stairs, he went to join up with Kakashi.


	16. What's New Pussycat?

Hearing the crackling of leaves and twigs underneath heavy paws, Sasuke tore himself off of Naruto and looked around. Naruto hadn’t been paying attention and looked at the raven in confusion. He felt slightly hurt that the raven didn’t continue.

“Sasuke, wha-!”

“Dobe, shut up!” He hissed out quietly.

Sasuke clamped a hand over the blond’s mouth. His eyes scouting the area, he felt cold sweat drip down his temples. Fear clouded his eyes as he searched for the predator. Another deep roar rang out; it sounded like a reverberating chesty cough. Naruto felt paralyzed as the boom of the roar echoed around them. His breath hitching in his chest he began to shake.

His mind racing at a million miles per second, Sasuke thought quickly. The slightest noise they made would draw the beast towards them; that is if it didn’t smell them already. Wincing as another growl bellowed out, Sasuke realized the roar was coming from the farther edge of the ravine.  He quickly plastered himself and Naruto against the wall, avoiding the razor like rocks sticking out. Keeping the smaller blond behind him, he signaled him to keep quiet and be as still as possible. Their hearts beating unnaturally fast and thumping loudly in their ears, they kept as still as statues. Keeping their eyes on the area of the growls, they waited.

Seconds later, the animal appeared.

It was around three and a half feet tall and about six feet long. It had a yellow-ish tan coat with black rosette markings. Its broad shoulders and thick head swung around powerfully as it ventured closer. It’s gorgeous, piercing yellow eyes with dark pupils surveyed the area, growling as it ambled along. Its heavy paws left indentions in the ground, leaving a trail behind it. The stunning beast fluidly made its way towards them. But the scariest part was not the beast itself, rather what the beast held.

Clamped tightly in its inescapable, bone crushing jaw, was the neck of a dead man.

Underneath the coating of blood, the man’s clothes were a pale blue shirt with navy pants. He was missing a shoe and his exposed foot was partially gone. Sasuke was paralyzed as recognition shot through him. It was the pilot of his plane, Kimimaro. The vicious grip the cat had on the man’s neck revealed the bony ridge of his spine. His throat had been mercilessly crushed in the iron clamp; clumps of loose tissue hung off the bones. His face was mutilated beyond repair. It appeared the majestic animal had had a bit of a snack before dragging the man away. His eye sockets were void of his pale gray eyes and his nose cartilage had been ripped away, leaving the white of the nasal bone to shine through.

The terrifyingly beautiful cat was leisurely dragging a corpse with it. Blood poured off of the body and the thick reek of copper permeated the air. Evidence of a struggled was displayed all around the man; scratch marks covered the unfortunate man’s arms and legs, fingers were bitten off, and strips of skin had been torn off. Long white hair was matted with thick globs of congealed blood mixed with soft, gray brain tissue. His chest cavity had been ripped open by razor like teeth, exposing the visceral organs underneath. White ribs jutted out from the bloody conglomeration like beacons. The lower abdomen had huge claw marks raked across the soft surface, revealing the pink tubes that were intestines in between the slashes. The man’s shoulder had chunks of flesh missing, unveiling the clavicle and tendons that kept the shoulder in one piece. The other arm was barely hanging on; it was merely attached by a bit of snowy cartilage. Blood painted the ground as the corpse was dragged across the jungle floor. Leaves and dirt stuck to the carcass, creating a huge mess. The golden coat of the spotted animal was tinged with red. Its long whiskers were tipped with crimson. The beast paused in front of them and shifted to stare at them with its hypnotic gaze.

Sasuke ripped his gaze away from the bloodstained man and to the animal. His obsidian eyes met yellow ones. Time seemed to freeze as he and the feline shared a moment. The unblinking yellow stare bore into his, seemingly staring into his soul. Faintly, he felt Naruto trembling behind him holding a death grip on the back of his shirt. Swallowing heavily, he gagged a bit on the pungent stench of the blood. The cat seemed to step towards him. Sasuke was absolutely terrified, but refused to show it. Despite the sweat pouring off of him, he drew himself up and made sure that Naruto was fully behind him. If the beast wanted to eat either of them, it would have to go through him first before touching his property. As morbid as it was, he would at least give the smaller man a chance to escape and hopefully stay alive until help came.

The huge feline broke the intense gaze and snorted. It jerked the body by the neck, getting a better grip on it. A sickening, bone-splintering, nasty crunch was heard as it adjusted its massive jaw. Turning its head, it continued its path, leaving Naruto and Sasuke behind as it dragged the corpse away. Leaves and branches crackled as the thick paws crushed them. A nauseating sound was heard as the animal heaved the body over the rocks; bones scraping against stone.

Minutes after the beast left, Sasuke and Naruto finally moved. Sasuke let out a long pent up breath. His hands shaking, he couldn’t help but stare at the trail of blood and gore left behind.

Naruto had never been as scared as he was in his life. Even when the plane was exploding, he hadn’t been as scared. He had chills running up and down his body. Clenching and unclenching his hands, he tried to stop the trembling. Making sure that the beast had left, he exhaled slowly and heavily and spoke.

“Well I just shit myself. Jesus, I can’t stop shaking……”

Sasuke let out a shaky chuckle. “We survived an encounter with one of the world’s largest cats; we’re the luckiest sons of bitches right now.”

Naruto clutched his chest, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, powered by the intense adrenaline and fear rush he was experiencing. Looking into the ferns where the cat had disappeared, he slid onto his bum, not registering the pain of the action. Propping his legs up, he rested his elbows on his knees and stared at his dangling hands; sensing his heart desperately trying to calm down.

“Was that like a tiger? I know it wasn’t a lion. They have big red manes and look like Simba.”

Sasuke slid down next to him and copied his position. His voice had returned to its normal condescending tone, but underneath was a barely detectable air of breathlessness. He discreetly watched his quivering hand and tried to cease the movement. Shaking his head, he recalled what he had read from a pamphlet during his vacation before the crash had happened.

“Well that and they live in Africa. Tigers have stripes and this one didn’t. It looked like a cheetah, but those are also indigenous to Africa. So it must have been either a jaguar or a leopard.”

Naruto shrugged. He didn’t know. But that cat left them alone without roaring or anything. Naruto grinned arrogantly, bouncing back from the terrifying experience with incredible speed. “You know, the cat barely looked at us. You can thank me now.”

Sasuke turned and looked at the smaller man. An elegant brow raised up high. “And what exactly do I need to thank you for?”

“For scaring off the tiger. My amazingness must have scared it off; otherwise it would have eaten us.”

“And the fact that it had its lunch with it already doesn’t matter at all?

“Nope. I scared it away……..It was nothing but a big pussy.”

Lips twitching, Naruto tried as hard as he could to keep a straight face. His eyes were shining with the laughter he wasn’t voicing. Sasuke simply stared at him. His pale mask was in place, but the corners of his lips had begun to quirk up. His eyebrows had furrowed as he tried with impressing force to keep from laughing.

A small chuckle left his mouth. Deciding that a life-threatening moment allowed a him a momentary chance to act immature, Sasuke thought of something. Meeting Naruto’s eyes, he spoke with a completely dead serious voice.

“That’s what she said.”

That shoved Naruto over the edge. Hearing the completely stoic and stick-up-his-ass Sasuke crack an juvenile joke, Spartan kicked the blond into the pit of body racking laughter. Howling, he clutched his sides and rolled on his side, his stomach burning. Sasuke began to laugh earnestly. His hid his face behind his hand and his shoulders shook up and down. Settling down, they both had to take deep breaths to calm down. 

Naruto rubbed the tears out of his eyes. Shaking his head, he picked up a small stone and threw it. The rock flew into the greenery and smacked against a tree. Sasuke picked on up and threw it also; his went further. Both chuckling now, they froze as the growling that had stopped suddenly erupted loudly. Meeting eyes, they kept quiet and still. A wet ripping sound was heard as the gorgeous beast began to eat. Not wanting to push their luck, the teens decided to get out. Naruto sucked in the pain and heroically kept his mouth shut as Sasuke grabbed his ass unceremoniously and shoved him upward. Naruto scrambled up and got out of the ravine. Reaching down, he helped tug the raven up and out.

As his adrenaline rush wore off, Naruto’s body began to protest his movements and begged for a break.

“Bastard, I can’t go on. Just leave me here and go on…”

Sliding down the tree he had been leaning against, Naruto plopped to the ground, holding in the small yelp of pain that threatened to come out. Sasuke stopped walking and turned around. Eyeing the smaller man, he nodded his head once.

“Hn. Bye.” He resumed his walking. Naruto watched him go for a couple of seconds before he began to cry out.

“OH what a cruel world! I hope that tiger doesn’t come eat me!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and glared at the blond as he turned around.

“For the last time, it wasn’t a tiger. Maybe it should eat you. Maybe it likes ramen flavored dobe.”

Naruto was sprawled on the ground. Cocking his head, he curiously looked over at the raven.

“Do I taste like ramen?”

Sasuke snorted. Not bothering to answer, he asked a different question.

“Are you going to lay their all day, or are you coming?”

Naruto pouted and squirmed around, crunching the leaves around him.

“I can’t walk anymore. It hurts too badly. Carry me.”

Sasuke stared at the blond, incredulousness painted blaringly on his face.

“You want me to do _what_?”

“Just carry me to the camp. Besides, your pale ass owes me. Once for saving us from the tiger, and one for making _my_ ass hurt. It was your fault.”

Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched. He contemplated how to respond. _Chances are that if I refuse, he would refuse sex next time for this. The more I play along, the more likely it is he’ll be more receptive……_

He smirked. “All right dobe. I’ll carry you.”

Naruto’s head popped off the ground and stared at the raven in disbelief.

“You being serious teme?”

Sasuke sauntered over to him and bent over his body.

“Completely. Now get up.”

Suspiciously, Naruto picked himself off of the ground and approached the raven cautiously. Sasuke turned around and bent slightly, propping himself for the blond to jump on. Eying the taller man to see if he would do anything, Naruto hopped on and wrapped his arms around the pale neck. His breath gently made the black hairs on the taller man’s neck dance. Sasuke inwardly shivered at the sensation. Stumbling against the sudden increase in weight, he struggled to get his balance back. Gripping the underside of the blond’s thighs, Sasuke adjusted him and looked around.

“Now how to we get back? This area doesn’t look familiar at all….”

“Hmmm…..We’ll follow that trail!”

Sasuke looked where the smaller man pointed to. Seeing nothing but trees and leaves, he asked the blond,

“What trail?”

“The trail that we blaze!”

Pointing vehemently towards a thick mass of shrubbery, he nudged to raven in that direction.

Sasuke carefully made his way to the mass of green. Pushing some of the branches aside, he revealed an even larger and steeper ravine. Pausing, he turned his head slightly and glared at the blond. Naruto inspected the area for two seconds before turning and pointing in another direction.

“ _That_ trail that we blaze!”

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke complied and cautiously began to make his way back to camp with his dobe on his back.

**xXx**

Another day flew by and next thing anybody knew, it was the day Itachi was scheduled to return on.

The intimidating man checked his watch as he parked his car. Sticking a black shiny dress shoe out of his door, he stepped into the parking lot and shut the door roughly. Walking past the sign that marked his space as the presidential parking spot, he shoved the doors open and entered the tall Uchiha building. Ignoring the receptionist that greeted him, he strode over to the elevator and pressed the button to his office floor. Calmly watching the floor counter go up, he picked a small piece of lint from his lapel and flicked it off. The fluff drifted down and met up with a bit of carpet fluff.

Hearing the sharp ding of the elevator, he watched as the stainless steel doors slid open jerkily. Stepping out, he walked down the hallway and opened the doors to the meeting room his employees were in. No bothering to acknowledge them, he sat down at the main seat of the table and lifted a slender eyebrow.

Iruka sat in the chair next to Kakashi. Anxious with the news everyone had found yesterday, he was desperate to start looking for the boys. Shikamaru pulled up the same equipment that he had on the day Itachi left and connected his laptop. The screen lit up and a world map popped up in green lines. A red dot blinked slowly in the Pacific Ocean.

“Now, judging by the time the bombs went off and the extent of damage the plane suffered along with the altitude and velocity, we believe we have found Sasuke and Naruto.

He pointed at the red dot and pushed a button on his keyboard. The light sprouted a thin red line that exhibited the plane’s original take off and landing route.

“They most likely have landed in the ocean, but there are small uninhabited island nearby that they may have swum to. We have concluded that both the pilot and the stewardess on the plane were involved with both Orochimaru and the plane bombing.”

Itachi absorbed all the news quickly. Flipping rapidly through the pages of information given to him by Kakashi, he set them down and inspected the computer screens glowing in front of him.

“Do we have the exact coordinates?

“Of the site where the plane lost signal, yes. Of the area the boys might be in, no. But the surrounding small islands are easily scouted and searched. Finding them will be a cinch.”

Iruka nearly bounced up and down in his seat in excitement. Naruto was okay! He was safe!

Kakashi sensed the energy threatening to bubble out from the brunette and reached his hand out. Tightly gripping a tan hand in his pale one, he patted it and smiled when the smaller man didn’t pull away. In fact, the tan fingers curled into his and a small pink tinge dusted the tan cheeks. Rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on the back of Iruka’s hand, he thought of his godchild. He had always known the raven was okay, but this news only served to fortify his beliefs. He assumed the raven was okay if not perfectly find and most likely enjoying another vacation. Naruto, judging by what Iruka had told him, was more than likely fighting with Sasuke. They were complete opposites and would no way get along. _Hmmm, to get stranded on an island with Iruka would be fun. Go swimming with the fishes, finding waterfalls, swinging from the trees, wearing nothing but our birthdays suits…… that lucky little brat._

Iruka felt the cold hand grip his. Needing some sort of reassurance that they would indeed get his son back, he curled his own hand around Kakashi’s and didn’t let go. He enjoyed the circles the silver-haired man was gently tracing on the back of his hand.

Itachi nodded.

“Excellent. Ino, get Kisame on the phone. We’re going to need a plane.”

Ino ran off to do what she was told. Iruka cocked his head. _A plane? Why another one?_ He no longer had any urge to ride in an airplane. Driving and boating seemed safer options.

“Kakashi, who is Kisame?”

Kakashi leaned back and rubbed his chin.

“I haven’t heard that name in a long time. He’s an old employee that was handpicked by Itachi. Kisame still sort of works for us. He does odd jobs specifically requested by Itachi. Last time I saw him, he was building an aquarium in his house for his pet sharks.”

“He has pet sharks?” Iruka eyed Kakashi, disbelief on his face.

“Yup. Kisame is a shark nut. During shark week, he’s out there with them.”

“He certainly sounds…….odd. But wait, if you need a plane, why not use another Uchiha plane?”

Kakashi shrugged. “To each their own. Kisame deals with different planes; ones not used for traveling. That, and the fact that we are currently screening the other planes for bombs. Although it’s highly unlikely that the other planes were targeted, we aren’t taking any chances.”

“Ones not for traveling? So a cargo plane then?”

“Well, not exactly. You’ll see.”

Itachi stood up, instantly commanding attention. He looked at everyone in the room with his dark eyes; inspecting their faces for any disagreement that would dare peep out. “Kakashi. Get the teams together. We’re leaving tomorrow and I expect to have my little brother here by the next day.” He gave a brief nod, acknowledging the fact that everyone had worked hard.

 At that moment, Ino came back, phone in hand. She handed it to Itachi and took up her seat next to Choji. Itachi stepped out of the room and began to talk quickly and quietly with Kisame. The room became awkwardly silent as everyone waited with bated breath for Itachi’s final instructions. Shikamaru was idly playing a game on his laptop; Choji watched over his shoulder and kept pointing at things on the screen. Temari and Ino had struck up a quiet conversation and had begun to nod and look over at the two guys.

Iruka kept glancing down at his watch. _One more day. One more day until Naruto would be back here and safe. How will I explain what happened? He’ll want to know why his plane was bombed. I wonder what he thinks happened. I wonder how he and Sasuke are getting along._

Itachi ended his call and returned. Grabbing his coat, he looked up at the people in the room. Kakashi stood from his seat next to Iruka and brought Itachi a list. Handing it too him, he waited for the man’s reaction.

Itachi gave a cursory glance at the list given to him. Spying a name that he didn’t expect to see on there, he lifted and eyebrow and regarded Kakashi with it.

Seeing that Itachi had spotted his newest addition, Kakashi nodded once, recognizing that he would be held responsible is anything went awry. Itachi simply looked away. It would be his head, but he wouldn’t argue. Giving the rest of the list the okay, Itachi handed it back and turned to the door. Pulling it open, he stepped out and shut it behind him.

Iruka curiously watched him. “He doesn’t stick around for long, does he?”

The room burst out into quiet chuckles. Ino came and stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders.

“He’s pretty busy most of the time, but when something is important, he sticks around for much longer. We don’t even get to see him much, so this is rare that he would even be here when he should be vacationing. Then again, Sasuke is his little brother and company heir, so it’s good that he’s looking out for him.

She was patting out a small rhythm on his shoulders when she stopped. “Hey Iruka, what does Naruto looked like? I never saw his face on the passenger list, just his name.”

“Naruto? Oh!” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet. Opening the worn leather, he gently pulled an old photo out. It was slightly creased and crumpled around the edges. It was a picture of him and Naruto, back when Naruto was a young boy. It had been taken a couple of days after Iruka had adopted him. Iruka was standing by a small bed with foxes on the sheets. The drapes by the window behind him billowed out slightly, indicating wind. Sunshine streamed through, landing gently on Iruka and his arms. In his arms was a tiny sleeping Naruto. The boy was curled up in his chest and had a tight grip on Iruka’s white tee. Iruka was gazing down at the sleeping child, a small grin playing on his lips. His eyes were warm and kind, looking down lovingly on the small bundle of sunshine he held.

Ino was entranced by the beauty of the picture. _Naruto was so adorable_! “Who took the picture?”

Iruka thought for a moment, he eyebrows furrowing. “I think it was one of my employees. I’m pretty sure it was Kurenai. She was pregnant and gave birth before I got Naruto. She came over to help me set things up and teach me how to properly care for him.”

Everyone had begun to crowd around, wanting to see Naruto too. The picture was being passed around the room. Iruka felt a pinprick of uneasiness as he watched it go from hand to hand. That was one of the only photos he had of Naruto as a small boy. He didn’t like to be away from it. As if sensing his uneasiness, Kakashi took the picture, looked at it, and then handed it back to Iruka.

“He’s like the opposite of Sasuke. Just like their personalities.” _Hmmmmm…._

“He looks just like his father. The same blond hair, the same blue eyes, and the same…well, no, his personality is more like his mother’s.”

Missing his ray of sunshine, Iruka placed the photo carefully back into his wallet and slid the leather back into his pocket. “I miss him.”

Choji looked up from Shikamaru’s game. “Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon. Kisame knows what he’s doing and the teams are the best of the best.

Iruka looked up at him. “What do you mean teams? Itachi said something about that too. What are they for?

“It’s too long to explain, but it’ll be clearer tomorrow. We’re going to be rather busy ”


	17. Team Titans

** Stranded **

Ch. 17 Team Titans

Sasuke stumbled into the camp and nearly fell down. The blonde wasn’t that heavy, but carrying him for a long time had taken its toll. His legs were burning with exhaustion and his feet hurt. Sweat sliding down his temple and to his chin, he gritted his teeth as Naruto sat comfortably on his back and hummed show tunes. The smaller man had been constantly talking and singing; alternating between choking Sasuke with his arms and almost falling off of him. Nearing his shelter, he let Naruto slide down. Panting slightly, he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and rubbed the back of his sore neck. He stretched out his tense muscles and let out a small groan of pleasure. Naruto looked over and cocked his head.

“So what now?

“What do you mean?” Sasuke shook his arms out and massaged his right shoulder. Grimacing, he looked over at the blonde.

Naruto looked down at his hands and carefully sat down on the sandy bank of the waterfall. He played with the sand, scooping up some between his legs and letting the grains fall though his fingers.

“We’ve been here for a while now. When are we going to go home? Are we even going to be rescued?”

Sasuke stopped and shrugged. “It depends on how long it’s taking my brother and your father to find us. Chances are that they are probably on their way as we speak.”

“What if we end up like that guy? What if we get turned into kitty chow before they come?”

“Well if we get eaten, then there isn’t much we can do since we’ll be dead. It had the entire body as food, so I doubt it will try to eat us.”

Naruto looked depressed as he continued to mess with the sand. He sighed heavily and laid on his back. He watched the white clouds slowly drift across an azure sky that rivaled the blue of his eyes. The leaves in the trees slowly drifted back and forth, swaying in the light breezes that liked to blow by. The sun hid behind several clouds; a blindingly white beam of sunlight soon began to peek through and shine through the leaves. The sound of the waterfall filled his ears. He had become used to it and hadn’t paid it any attention afterwards. He turned his head to the side and watched as the crystal clear water cascaded down and let out a small mist. The steady trickling of the water sent out ripples into the pool, making small waves lap at the pool’s edge. _Once we are rescued, what are the chances of me ever seeing something like this again? This waterfall was the first one I’ve ever seen in person. Here, I was face to face with danger and I lived. I had sex for the first time here. All I’ve ever done at home is work. I’m gonna miss this place._ The blond’s eyebrows furrowed as he contemplated something. He turned his gaze the grass and observed as the small blades drifted to and fro. A small black ant struggled to climb up a blade. _Will I see Sasuke again? I don’t want to say goodbye. I’m in this for the long haul, but is he? Sure, he might be into it now, but what about when it’s time to go back and we get separated?_ His chest felt uncomfortably and foreignly tight. The idea of getting separated from the one person that he had ever gotten intimately close with made an ache resonate deep within him.

Sasuke watched as Naruto got uncharacteristically quiet. He face was turned towards the waterfall and he was lost in his own world. Straightening up, the raven looked down at his dobe. _Does he want to leave that bad? Besides, the near death experiences and the lack of food that’s not fish, does he really not like it here? This is an ideal paradise; a place where people dream of going to, a place where people would pay absurd amounts of money to go. What is it that he finds is so distasteful? Or is there another reason he wants to go?_ His mind wandered to darker areas. Although his pride kept him from giving these thoughts his full attention, the small bubbles often drifted to the surface and would let tidbits slip out. Not a lot, but just enough to make the raven uneasy. _Is he tired of being here with me? Am I the reason he wants to leave?_ Reprimanding himself, he tried to force the thoughts away, but they crowded his mind. The idea that maybe Naruto really did have someone waiting for him made a furious monster of jealousy rise within him and claw at his chest. He never let people get close. Now, the one time he does, chances are they’re going to be separated. His eyes narrowing and his mouth scowling, he strode over to his tent.

Hearing a sort of stomping noise, Naruto looked behind him and watched as Sasuke went to his tent. Curiously, he noticed that the raven appeared angry. _What’s with him?_ The taller man disappeared in the shadowy tent and stayed inside. Turning his attention back to the sky when the raven didn’t come back out, Naruto began to feel drowsy. His body thankfully no longer ached and the gentle caresses of the wind felt amazing. The slight pain he did feel from his leg was currently hibernating. The rustling of the trees and the singing of the tropical birds lulled him into a feeling of serenity, gradually sinking him into sleep.

Sasuke shoved open his briefcase. Carefully looking inside, he opened a side pocket that was easily hidden in plain sight. He tugged out a small black box and tried to pry it apart. Digging his thumb nail in the side, he forced it open and inspected the inner mechanics of the device. Knowing that he would get in so much trouble for cutting the wires on the tracking device he wasn’t supposed to know he had, he cautiously analyzed the damage and set to fix it. He had been so smug finding it and destroying it; he thought he had outsmarted Itachi. Now, it would be to his advantage to use it. Once Itachi found them, they would go home and Sasuke would make sure that Naruto was only his. He pushed and prodded at the wires. Finding the ones that he had cut, he twined the strings together and forced the connections back into their original position. Sasuke examined the circuit board and made sure that everything looked right. He located a tiny red button and attempted to press it. Glaring down at the box, he realized that he needed something to push it as his finger was too big. He spent several minutes looking around, trying to find something small enough to fit. He finally found a small enough stick and shoved it into the hole where the button was. Seconds later, a sharp, shrill beep rang out; it indicated that it had been turned on.

Sasuke smirked cockily. _Now all that’s left to do is wait._ He twisted around and looked out of the shelter. Naruto was sprawled out in the sun. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly. _He’s going to get burned, and I’m the one that’s going to be hearing about it. Moron._ Getting out, he made his way over to the sleeping blonde. An idea forming in his head, he walked past the figure on the ground and headed toward the water. Reaching the edge, he jumped in as far and as fast as he could. The water splashed up and created wild waves. The waves rocketed to the shore and swallowed up the smaller man.

“Oh, fuck!”

Naruto woke up sputtering and coughing. One minute he was back home eating ramen and the next he was drowning! Sitting up, he rubbed the water out of his eyes and coughed as his nose burned. Cursing, he turned to the obvious culprit.

“What the fuck, teme?! I was sleeping! Fuck, I got water up my nose….”

Sasuke drifted further into the pool and shrugged. “I had to wake you up.”

Naruto glared at him and leapt to his feet.

“And you couldn’t have just told me to wake up?!”

Sasuke nonchalantly paddled around. He looked back at the dripping blonde.

“No, I couldn’t have.”

“Why the hell not? Jeez, what did you want, anyway?”

Naruto shook his head like a dog and exhaled heavily through his nose to get any remaining water out.

“You were going to burn. Sun at this expose without sunblock can lead to various skin cancers and diseases. I don’t want you to get burned.”

Naruto stopped moving and peeked over at the raven. A light blush dusted his face and the tips of his ears as he glared at him. _I guess its okay because he was looking out for me…….NO! He still could have woken me up by yelling at me!_

“That doesn’t mean you couldn’t have simply told me.”

Sasuke dove into the water and disappeared. He went as far deep as he could. In the crystal like water, he saw all of the life that hid beneath the surface. Spying something, he went deeper and reached the bottom. His lungs burning for fresh air, he struggled to stay down. Picking up what he found, he shot towards the surface and popped out. Breathing heavily, he began to tread towards the shore. Naruto was over at his dilapidated shelter and was moving sticks around. He appeared to be limping and struggling to stay upright. Growling, Sasuke moved towards him. _I had to carry him here because he couldn’t walk, but now he’s up and about?_ He then noticed that the blond was limping heavily and had a pained grimace painted on his face. Sasuke temper flashed _. If he is injured, why the hell is he still trying to build his hut? Is mine not good enough?_

Sasuke reached the shore and marched over to the smaller man. Placing what he had found in a secure spot, he reached the blond.

“Dobe, what are you doing?”

Naruto jumped a little in surprise and looked back at the raven. Giving him a quick pained smile, he twisted back to his work.

“I’m fixing my teepee obviously.”

“Why are you walking around? Earlier you couldn’t even stand up, let alone walk.”

Naruto shrugged but didn’t turn around. He got down on his knees and dragged the closest pieces of driftwood closer to him. He accidentally let out a yip of pain. He quickly coughed to cover it up.

“I feel better now. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Besides, this teepee will be my legacy. I need to make it amazing while we are still here.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He neared the blonde and stood next to him, his arms crossed across his chest.

“Stand up.”

Naruto looked up at him; a confused look on his face.

“Why?”

“Stand up.” Sasuke commanded.

Naruto chewed on his lower lip before he rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and capitulated.

“I don’t see why I should, but fine.”

He gingerly got to his feet. Any pain he might have felt was masked up and hidden. Grinning brightly at the raven, he outstretched his hands and shrugged.

“Now what? See, I’m perfectly okay.”

Sasuke uncrossed his arms and got closer. He reached down and grabbed the leg Naruto had been limping on. He pulled it up and pressed hard around the ankle. Naruto cried out and nearly fell. He managed to cling on to a nearby tree before he fell down.

“Owwww! What the fuck, bastard! Shit!”

The blonde winced and gritted his teeth as the raven continued to poke and prod his tender ankle. Tears of pain welled up in the corners of his eyes. He let his head fall back against the tree and tried to pull his leg free from the taller man’s grip.

Sasuke inspected the ankle and saw that it was still swollen and sore. He felt around it and gently caressed it. “I thought you said it didn’t hurt anymore.” He then set the foot back down and proceeded to pin the smaller man with his hard gaze.

Naruto stared into the obsidian depths and swallowed. He felt like a deer caught in headlights. _Why is he so worried about me? It’s not like I’m dying or anything…._ “It didn’t hurt before, but thanks to you, now it does.”

“Hn.”

Sasuke reached up and brushed golden bangs out of the way. He examined the gash on the blonde’s forehead carefully and let his fingers lightly drift across the wound. His gentle touch sent shivers running throughout the smaller man’s body. Getting closer, he gripped Naruto’s chin and softly tilted his head to the side, looking for more wounds.

Satisfied that he didn’t find anything, he moved on to the blonde’s torso.

Naruto’s heart began to pound faster as the raven infiltrated his personal space. Sasuke’s hot touches brought back vivid memories of the night before. Saliva pooling in his mouth, he swallowed heavily and stifled a small moan that threatened to come out. He was jolted slightly as he felt a warm hand ghost across his abdomen and curve over to his hip. Sasuke’s hand dragged his nails across the tan skin and sent goosebumps on the blonde’s arms.

Sasuke smirked as he watched his dobe turn into putty in his hands. Licking his lips, he caressed any scratch he saw. He spotted one along Naruto’s ribs and moved in like a shark finding it’s prey. He pressed a light kiss to it, letting his lips glide over the small cut. His nose skimmed along the delicious tan skin and found its next target: another small cut, located along the tattoo on his stomach. A wolfish grin slid languidly onto the raven’s face as he pressed his lips on it. Nipping on the skin around it, he felt the blonde shift and try to get away. Tsking in his head, he made his way back up to the smaller man’s face and cornered him with his most seductive look.

“Where are you going, _Naruto_?” Sasuke asked darkly.

He rolled the name on his tongue, putting the full force of the Uchiha sexual genes to work. Satisfied, he watched as Naruto tried to fight his obvious arousal and want.

-“N-nowhere, just-”

He inhaled sharply as Sasuke pinned him against the tree and slowly slid a knee in between his legs. _Fuck, I can’t…..I need……._ shit _._ Naruto brought up a fist and bit into it. He let out a guttural groan as Sasuke’s roaming hands decided to take a trip down his happy trail.  The pale fingers gently tugged at the small hairs and sent waves of pleasure to his hardening cock. The knee between his legs rose higher. He fought the urge to grind against it fiercely, but still rocked at bit on it. Suddenly, he was released and nearly fell on his face.

“Wha-?”

Glancing up, he saw the raven backing away, smirking evilly.

“Stay out of the sun, dobe.”

Naruto gaped at him in disbelief. His body was on fire, begging to be satisfied. His chest heaving, he used the tree as a support as he stood up, no longer paying any attention to his leg pain.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re just going to leave me high and dry?!”

Sasuke turned around and raised an eyebrow at the indignant blonde. He adjusted his stance slightly as he had something coming up to have some fun in his boxers.

“You’ve been complaining all day that your ass hurts thanks to me. I hardly think you could handle another go, seeing as once leaves you crippled. Face it, I’m just too good.”

Naruto felt sucker punched by the raven’s words. His face and ears flushed a deep cherry red. Embarrassed, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

“I’m not that weak! Your stupid ass didn’t use enough lube!” His embarrassment rose as he brought this to attention. _Shit, I already am talking about it, can’t back down now….._

“So you’re saying you could handle another round? Or are you saying that you can’t?”

Sasuke knew perfectly what he was doing. By egging the blonde on, he would get what he wanted, pleasuring both of them in the process. The more Naruto needed him, the less he would want to be away from him when they returned home. It was the perfect plan.

Naruto glared at the taller man, his temper flaring from his humiliation. He spoke quickly, not letting his mind register what he was saying.

“Of course I can! I can go all day! Try me, bast-”

Sasuke saw his opportunity and took it. In a split second, he was next to the blonde. He grabbed the blonde by the shoulders and slammed him against the tree, roughly. He slid his hands down the smaller man’s own and intertwined their fingers, stretching them above Naruto’s head. Pressing his hips tightly to the blonde’s he gave a sharp thrust, grinding his erection against his dobe’s.

His lips captured Naruto’s and he shoved his tongue into the wet cavern. His tongue roamed around, taking in the sweet taste he was addicted to and reveled in the flavor. Not wasting time, he tore his mouth free and gave Naruto time to breathe. He pressed hot kisses along he blonde’s jawline and nibbled his way to the sensitive ear. Biting on the shell, he whispered hotly in the canal.

“Brace yourself.”

**xXx**

After breakfast, Kakashi and Iruka once again headed off to the offices of the Uchiha building. Upon arrival, Iruka noticed that there seemed to be more cars than usual parked in the lot. All of the new arrivals were brand new and foreign; their shiny coat of paint gleaming in the morning light.  Among the ostentatious vehicles was Itachi’s car.

Kakashi had replaced his usually impeccable suits for something more casual. He was wearing a maroon tight button down shirt with a shadowy gray suit jacket on top. His denim jeans were a dark-washed out blue color. Iruka had to borrow clothes again; his outfit was a slightly baggy green button down with khaki colored dress pants. Together they made an odd ensemble. Iruka lead the way into the building, having already made himself comfortable with the layout due to so many visits. He unhurriedly greeted the receptionist who knew him by name and headed towards the elevator.

Unable to stand still for long, Iruka kept fidgeting with his minty-smelling clothes and pacing around. Kakashi watched him with his mismatched eyes and gave a crooked smile. He knew the brunette was impatient to see Naruto and was curious as to what everyone was talking about the other day. Grinning, he reached out and caught the brunette’s shoulders. He pulled the smaller to him and pressed Iruka’s back to his chest.

“Calm down, you’re too tense. Keep this up and I won’t bring you back here. I know you’re anxious, you have every right to be, but stop worrying.”

“I’m not worryi-”

Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. “Worry is pouring off you like waves. Just relax and know that in a day or so, the boys will be back.” He rubbed soothing circles on Iruka’s shoulders. Kneading them a bit, he was surprised when the tan man let out a small moan of appreciation. Pausing, Kakashi lifted an eyebrow and regarded the brunette. Hearing the smaller man cough to cover it up, he grinned wolfishly and proceeded to massage the shoulders harder, digging into the tense muscles. He found that changing the pressure he applied to the shoulders, changed the tone and sound of the slight moans that managed to sneak out. _His body is so malleable and receptive. And his moans are music to my ears. I wonder how loud he can get……._

The elevator doors dinged open and slid apart. Iruka reluctantly pulled away from the magic of Kakashi’s hands and strode down the hall with Kakashi in suit. He felt oddly more relaxed and calm. Kakashi had been right; he was getting tense and anxious. Taking deep, controlled breaths, he hesitated opening the glass doors that lead to the new meeting room. The old one had gotten pretty dirty and crowded. Kakashi had told him that there were going to more people in today’s meeting and that the room was located elsewhere in the building. He reached for the door’s silver handle, but didn’t touch it. He slowly pulled his hand away from the handle and curled it into a fist. He rubbed his nose scar nervously and took a step back from the doors.

“Iruka?”

Kakashi saw this and was immediately on alert for anything that might have distressed his brunette.

“I’m ecstatic that we’re finally getting our boys back, but I’m also terrified.” Iruka felt his fears were irrational and pointless, but he felt them nonetheless. Normally he would simply keep his thoughts to himself, but when he was with Kakashi, he felt he could tell the silver-haired man anything and never be judged.

“What are you scared off?”

Iruka turned to him. The smaller man’s face was taunt with worry and fear clouded his features.

“I’m terrified of the thought that this is a dream, that one day I’ll wake up expecting to find Naruto home, just to find out that he’s gone. “I’m terrified of the fact that they may have not survived and that we are simply going to find their bodies.”

Kakashi yanked the man to him and hugged him awkwardly. He pressed the body to him, nuzzling the brown hair slightly. “I said they’re alive didn’t I? What, do you not believe me?”

“Nono, it’s not that, its-”

“Then trust me. I promise that they are alive and kicking. All we have to do is play Waldo with them and take them home. Now come on, we aren’t going to find them standing here.”

Iruka felt his face flush as he was pressed tightly against Kakashi’s hard body. His face was plastered to Kakashi’s chest with the pale hand sifting through his hair. The other hand was on his lower back. He felt the arms tighten before letting him go. Strangely, he missed the warmth that had come with the embrace. The silver haired man headed to the doors and pulled them open. He went inside and stood by the doors, holding them open. Iruka took another deep breath as he entered the room.

One wall was just windows, showing the life outside the office. The opposite wall was simply made of beautiful polished oak. A long silver rectangular table was placed in the middle of the room. Several glasses of condensing water sat on the table along with white coffee mugs and black folders. On one side of the table sat the people he knew and saw on a daily basis. On the other side were people he had never seen before.

One of the new arrivals had his feet propped up on the metal, showcasing a pair of dark brown dress shoes. The man had short, spiky, brown hairs and odd red triangles on his face. His hand was intertwined with the young woman sitting next to him. She had long dark hair and pale eyes. She had a light blush on her face from the contact with the man, but held on nonetheless. The woman had on a simple black blazer over a purple blouse with a medium length black skirt. To her right sat a pale man with a shocking mop of red hair. His eyes were surrounded by dark circles of insomnia. The man’s dark green eyes followed Iruka intently as he went to sit down, never wavering or blinking. Iruka sat down in front of a man with sharp eyes and brown hair. This man had on a pale grey suit with a red tie. His fingers were lightly tapping up and down, mimicking how a puppeteer would command his dolls. Iruka looked away from the man and turned to the last member of the newcomers. Shocked, he realized he was looking at a slightly smaller version of Gai. The same bowl haircut, the same thick eyebrows, and the same blinding amount of green. They could have been twins, besides the obvious age difference.

Ino popped up from her chair and leaned over to Iruka. She whispered in her ear as Kakashi stared at her, waiting for her to move so that he could sit down and claim his spot next to his brunette.

“Don’t feel nervous, these are the good guys. Do you want some coffee to help calm down the nerves?”

Iruka was grateful for her kindness. “Yes, please.”

She lightly patted his shoulder and walked out of the room. Choji was sitting to his left and was munching on a chocolate bar while discussing something with Shikamaru who was sitting to his side. Kakashi quickly took his seat and began to play with Iruka’s hair. He tugged gently on the strands while humming something. Finding the eyes of the strangers staring at him and Kakashi curiously, Iruka blushed and pushed Kakashi’s hands away. Instantly, Kakashi latched on to his hand and began to twine his fingers in between the tan ones. Iruka tried to pull away discreetly, but Kakashi wasn’t letting go. After a few minutes of fruitlessly struggling to free himself while an audience watched, to his mortification, Iruka sighed and quieted down, a dark red blush across his face. He stole a look at Kakashi’s face an immediately looked away in embarrassment and shyness. The mismatched pair of eyes had been staring intently at him. An unfamiliar emotion swirled within them, elusive and quick. Iruka could not read it fast enough or understand it.

Grinning, Kakashi leaned back in his chair smugly and nodded at Gai who had just walked in. Gai had noticed the hand holding and had looked questioningly at the silver haired man. Feeling happy for his best friend, Gai gave his own huge smile and thumbed up at Iruka. Iruka, confused, gave his own small smile and nod.

The room was filled with quiet murmurs and muted conversation as they waited for Itachi to finish another meeting he had scheduled for earlier in the day. Iruka observed the strangers and was particularly interested in the red head. He just looked so…..dangerous. The green eyes flitted from side to side, always watching. Knowing that Kakashi knew who they were, he turned to the taller man, but before he could say anything, Itachi emerged from the doors and instantly silenced the room. The brown haired man pulled his feet off the table top and sat up straight while everyone else simply fell quiet.

“I assume everyone knows why they are here, but since we seem to have a tag along,” he turned to look at Iruka, “we are in need of introductions. Kiba, you begin.”

The brown haired man turned to Iruka and nodded. “Kiba Inuzuka.”

The woman next to him blushed and looked down at her hands. “H-hinata Hyuuga.”

It was the red hair’s turn. His green orbs stared at Iruka. “Sabaku no Garra.”

The man next to Gaara looked up briefly. “Kankuro.”

The Gai mini me stood up and saluted. “YO! I’m Rock Lee, but you can call me Lee! Nice to meet you!”

Iruka smiled awkwardly and rubbed his nose scar. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Itachi took his seat at the front of the table and opened one of the black folders laying on the table.

“Well, let’s begin.”


	18. Jump on it

Sasuke slipped his hands down and grabbed one of Naruto’s legs. He hitched up the tan limb on his hip and grinded down, bringing them closer together. Savoring the tangy taste that invaded his mouth, Sasuke licked his way down the tan neck, and made his way to the blonde’s shoulders. All the while, he kept up a constant thrusting motion; the friction felt delicious against his member. His boxers had gotten unbearably tight and damp in the front.

Naruto moaned appreciatively as Sasuke ravished his neck. The hot tongue gliding across his skin felt intoxicatingly good, setting his skin on fire. He struggled to free his hands, but the raven had them in an inescapable hold above his head. The inability to move his hands heightened his excitement, leaving him at the mercy of the taller man. Each sharp thrust of Sasuke’s hips sent him on a dangerous roller coaster of pleasure.

Sasuke adjusted his grip on the smaller man’s hands. He managed to get both wrists in one hand while his other one came down to join the party. Nibbling on the skin along the dobe’s shoulders, he made his way to the base of his neck; there he sucked on the skin, leaving a strawberry mark to join the others that were fading. His hand found a nipple and began to massage the nub between his fingers. Sensing the sharp inhale that the blond did at the touch, Sasuke gently pulled the tip and squeezed it. Naruto let out a small moan at the action.

Feeling Sasuke touch his chest brought embarrassment to him. _Girls are the ones that you’re supposed to touch there, but fuck, it feels so damn good._ Naruto bit down on his lips to hold back any noise he made. Suddenly, Sasuke released his hands and clamped his own tightly on Naruto’s hips. Naruto instantly brought his hands to the raven’s face and pulled his face closer. Smashing their mouths together, Naruto used the small height advantage he had to take the upper hand as their tongues battled. Sasuke’s hard grip on his hips kept him in place as the raven continued to thrust. Naruto raked his hands into Sasuke’s hair, gripping the silky strands in his fists.

“Sasuke…shit, hurry up…” He grunted as Sasuke pushed him harder against the tree. His weeping member strained against its cloth prison.

Naruto gasped out as Sasuke ripped his mouth away and had begun to lick a path down his chest.

“Hn.”

Sasuke dipped his fingers into the blonde’s boxers and shoved them down. Naruto hissed as his throbbing erection was finally released. His cock jumped as it was pressed between their stomachs. Sasuke quickly tore off his own. Once they were off, he immediately pressed his body back solidly against the blonde’s, rubbing his leaking head to Naruto’s.  

“Ow, fuck!”

Naruto winced as the bark of the tree rubbed abrasively on his naked back. Trying to arch off the tree, he pushed harder down unto Sasuke. 

“..What? What happened?..”

Sasuke heard the blond cry out and it was taking all the strength and will power in his body to not slam into the pliable body under his and thrust savagely.

“The tree…scratching my back…hurts..” Naruto panted out.

“..Hold on…” Sasuke grunted.

Sasuke snaked his arm around Naruto’s waist and pulled him away from the tree. Naruto awkwardly wrapped his legs around Sasuke’s hips and held on tight. Sasuke tried to make it to the shelter, but Naruto’s tight grip and the sensitivity of his cock hindered him. His heart pounding and his dick aching, he stumbled to a small patch of grass that was a few feet away from his shelter. Struggling to not drop the blonde and injure him, he landed roughly on his knees and set the smaller man down. Latching on to the kiss swollen lips, Sasuke quickly got into position. He pried the legs off of his hips and pushed them down, giving him room in between. Naruto’s hands roamed over his chest, raising goosebumps as he trailed his hands along Sasuke’s physique.

Sasuke stroked his length, allowing the cum leaking out to fully coat it. Not much had come out yet, so it was poorly lubed. Knowing that if he went in now it would hurt the blonde, Sasuke racked his mind for something to use as a substitute. Pausing, he pulled away and raided the campsite with his eyes.

Naruto was lying down in a nice patch of grass and was ready to get the fun going. Once again, he felt Sasuke pull away from him.

“What the fuck….bastard?...Why are….you stopping? Hurry the hell up, and-”

Sasuke silenced him with a deep kiss. “If I go in now, it’s going to hurt you. We need some lubrication…..” Sasuke spoke hoarsely against the plump lips, punctuating each word with a scorching kiss.

Naruto glared around the clearing desperately. His body was burning and he was unabashedly eager to stroke the fires.

“Fuck,.. I don’t see anythin-…..ooohhhh” Naruto moaned out.

Sasuke had snuck a semen covered finger in. He gently pushed the finger in deeper, stretching out the puckered ring of muscles. Once he figured the blonde was used to one finger, he pushed in another, then another. As he let his fingers successfully distract his dobe with their probing, he thought of something that would make a decent lubricant. Inside of his suitcase, he had a small bottle of lotion that Itachi had given him as a vacationing gift. Out of disdain for the fruity smell, he never had used it. He quickly withdrew the fingers and leapt to his feet, leaving the blond in a hazy state of confusion and pleasure. Upon finding the silver case, he nearly ripped it apart as he tried to open it. Spotting the bottle instantly, he grabbed it and hastily got back to the smaller man.

“You…found something?”

“Yes. Alright I’m going in…”

Sasuke properly coated his cock and positioned it at Naruto’s entrance. He slowly slid in, pushing until he was fully sheathed. The hot inferno that surrounded his length made his head spin. His breathing becoming course and jagged, he waited for Naruto to give the okay. The blonde’s face was scrunched up, pain mixed with pleasure.

The feeling of Sasuke slowly coming in deeper brought a heavy blush to Naruto’s face. Sasuke’s thick length was quickly becoming his ticket to paradise on earth, surpassing even ramen. He moaned out as Sasuke lifted one of his legs up and draped it across the pale shoulder, while sinking in more comfortably. With a small pinprick of shock, he realized Sasuke was going in deeper than before, pushing against his inner walls and brushing against that one spot. Sasuke stilled and Naruto knew he was waiting for a confirmation to continue. Nodding his head once, impatiently, he stared into the obsidian depths that were eating him alive with their intense look. In there, swirling around, he saw lust mixed with another emotion, one he couldn’t read. As soon as his azure gaze met the inky black one, the fathomless dark ones widened and a small blush stole across the pale visage.

“S’ke…..move….”

Sasuke was staring deeply into Naruto’s sapphire orbs when Naruto turned and met his gaze. The incredible blue gems were clouded with lust and need; it was something that he had caused. His eyes were heavy lidded and hazy. The dark blush mixed with Naruto’s intoxicating look and his rusty voice were Sasuke’s undoing.

He pulled out nearly all the way and slammed in hard, pushing Naruto up on the grass. Naruto let out a wordless cry as he repeated, this time plunging in harder. Grunting, he thrust in deeply. Sweat slowly dripped from his temples and coasted down his face as he concentrated on hitting Naruto’s prostate. He kept pulling nearly out and pushing back in at different angles. Fire raced from his skin to his groin as his pale skin rubbed against the tan one. Removing the leg from his shoulder, he set it down and bent over the smaller man, pulling his hips higher in the air and giving him a better angle to penetrate deeper.

“Nghhh…mmm”

Naruto was on cloud nine. His hands were at his sides, clutching tightly on to the grass as Sasuke savagely pounded into him. Any sense of dignity and pride flew out the window as he was pleasured in ways he had only just discovered. The strange sensation of something being inside of him was overwhelmed by the desire building up inside. Suddenly, he felt it coming. That sweet oblivion that made his vision erupt in white bliss.

Sasuke let out a small moan as he thrust. Scorching, white hot pinpricks of euphoria ran all over is body as he buried himself further and further into the blond. A ball of sizzling heat was pooling down in his cock; a sign. He was going to cum, _fast_.

“Naruto……. I’m close…. _fuck_ ….”

Sasuke’s ragged voice was sinfully caressing his ears. Letting out a groan as Sasuke kept rubbing that spot deep inside him, Naruto nodded as best as he could.

“Me….too..”

“Gonna…pull out….?”

In his hazy mind, Sasuke struggled to remember that Naruto had had difficulty cleaning himself out. Granted, he had never done it and was entitled to be clueless, but still, it was best to pull out.

Realizing that Sasuke wanted to pull out, Naruto shook his head and grinned. He somehow managed to get his legs around the pale hips again. He clamped them on and yanked the raven closer. Sasuke nearly fell forward as Naruto pulled him forwars. Inadvertently, he pushed in at a new angle and slammed into Naruto’s prostate. Sasuke cried out silently as Naruto tightened impossibly around his cock; he came hard inside of the blonde, coating his inner walls.

“Ngh, fuck!”

Naruto let out a groan as waves of burning pleasure erupted and rocketed throughout his body. He came on his stomach again, covering Sasuke’s as well. Sasuke kept up his thrusts, slowing them down to prolong the ride down. Aftershocks racked his body and he felt them echoed in the smaller man’s. He braced himself over Naruto, making sure to not land on him. Naruto reached out and hooked his arms around the pale neck and dragged the raven down. Initiating a profound kiss, he nibbled on Sasuke’s lips and trailed his lips over to the raven’s jawline. There, he nipped his way to the taller man’s throat and sucked, leaving a hickey before plopping down to the ground panting. Tired from the experiences of the day, he began to doze off in a pleasant cloud of haziness. His thoughts drunk on a pleasure high, he smiled languidly and moaned as Sasuke removed himself.

Sasuke slowly pulled his limp length out and lie down heavily next to the exhausted blonde. He struggled to calm his ragged breathing and his heart rate down. The blond sleepily latched on to his side and snuggled close. Sasuke smiled crookedly and was pleased with himself. _Plan worked out perfectly. I’m not going to let him go…_

He pulled the smaller man closer to his body and nuzzled the crown of golden hair that fit perfectly underneath his neck. He snaked his hand down and anchored to Naruto’s hips. Next to him, he felt deliriously happy, and at peace. Inhaling the sweet scent that was Naruto, he soon joined the blonde in the land of the sleep.

A figure stood crouched behind a tree. Those voices. The person recognized the voices. Angrily, they brought out a small earpiece and a wraparound throat microphone. Putting them on, they immediately turned to a familiar radio wave and waited. Seconds later, they were rewarded with a burst of static and a voice speaking.

“Well now, this is a surprise. I didn’t think I would be hearing your sweet voice again. I was beginning to think you were ignoring me.”

The person rolled their eyes and related what they had found. They angrily broke a twig they had been messing with as they watched. Finishing up the report, the person fell silent as they waited for a response 

The voice on the other end became displeased.

“Unfortunately, I cannot see what else there is to do. I’ll have to ask him myself for instructions. Keep your position and I will be back with an answer momentarily. 

The call ended and the person scoffed. They shoved a thick serrated knife down into their leg holster and clipped it shut. Sliding down to the base of the tree, they impatiently waited for their next directives.

 

**xXx**

 

Hours later, Naruto and Sasuke were both up and walking around. Eating another tiring breakfast of fish, they both kept up a light conversation and poked fun at each other to pass the time. The fear of running into the beast again kept them confined to the clearing, making the thought of venturing out disturbingly frightening.  To help fight the boredom that was building, Naruto coaxed Sasuke to go swimming for a bit. His ankle was still tender, but was feeling better. He was able to walk on it for short periods of time before the pain became too much. Swimming was much easier than walking.

Sasuke lazily floated in the water; his inky black hair drifted around him like a dark corona. His fathomless eyes followed Naruto who was rebelliously climbing a tall tree that leaned out over the water. Reaching the highest branch that could still support his weight, Naruto he edged out towards the water, clutching the rough tree bark. Spying something out of the corner of his eye, he smiled widely. It was a thick vine that was hanging off another branch that was close by. Carefully grabbing it, he pulled on it heavily, testing its weight support. It didn’t budge. _This is the greatest idea I’ve ever had!_ Reaching the end of the thick branch under his feet, he jumped up and held onto the vine as he swung out over the water.

Letting out a Tarzan yell, Naruto let go of the vine and let gravity do its job. Plunging down, he created a huge wave that inundated the raven that had drifted closer. Sinking in deeply, Naruto opened his eyes and watched as Sasuke swam to the surface and popped out of the water. He looked around and enjoyed the brief glimpse he was allowed at the beautiful aquatic life of the waterfall. Swimming to the surface, he burst out like a cork from a champagne bottle. Wiping the water out of his eyes and flipping his hair out of the way, he let lose a burst of carefree laughter.

“Oi teme! Did you see that?! I made a tsunami!”

Sasuke pulled his hair out of his face and brushed it back with his fingers.

“Hardly a tsunami. You just splashed me.”

“Pffft. You’re just jealous that you can’t make one like that. It takes skill.”

“And what skill would that be? A-”

“HELL-OOOO! Yoohoo, boys!”

Naruto and Sasuke both whipped their heads around to the edge of the clearing where the trees got thicker. Sasuke scowled and glared at the intruder. Naruto blinked and cocked his head in surprise, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

“…..Sakura?”

 

**xXx**

 

“Orochimaru, it would seem that our esteemed Sakura is alive and well." 

The snake like man set down his cup of tea. Frowning, he looked over at Kabuto who had just come in through the door.

“Unexpected, but not unwanted. Is she reporting that she has accomplished her mission?”

Kabuto shoved his glasses higher on his nose.

“Unfortunately, Sasuke and the other passenger are still alive as well. She is currently awaiting further instructions from you. I thought I’d be best to tell you before she attempts to complete it, this time being successful.”

Orochimaru’s upper lip curled in disgust. “Still alive? ……..” His eyes widening imperceptibly, he smiled cruelly as he thought of a new plan. “It would seem we now have golden opportunity. It is absolutely wonderful that dear little Sasuke is still alive.”

Confused, Kabuto looked up at his boss. “Wonderful? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this a bad thing that needs to be dealt with quickly? The whole point was to kill Sasuke and destroy the Uchiha Enterprise. He is our greatest threat, besides Itachi.”

“Don’t be too hasty, Kabuto. Have you ever heard of the phrase, ‘Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer?’ It would be best to use little Sasuke, rather than simply destroy him. I have a feeling that Itachi will be hit harder if it’s his own brother that has wrought his demise. It will be all the more wonderful when Sasuke returns from the dead to destroy him.”

“Orochimaru, I highly doubt Sasuke will willingly join our team.”

“That is not problem. I can be extremely persuasive when the need arises. Tell Sakura to get rid of the other one, but to leave Sasuke untouched. We need him.”

“Yes sir, right away. 

Kabuto left the office and immediately relayed the commands to Sakura. Ending the conversation, he giggled evilly and pushed his glasses up on his nose. Oh how he loved his job.

 

**XxX**

 

“This is the main area that our boys  might have landed in. Now, it will take a while to scout out the entire area, so we have created able teams to cover more ground.”

Shikamaru and Choji had placed a large world map on the table. This meeting room was not as up to date as the other one. It was now mainly used as a storage room due to its size. Ino and Ten Ten had cleaned out room while Neji and Choji had moved in the furniture. Shikamaru had mysteriously disappeared and left the other to do all the work. Once it had been complete, he conveniently returned and set up his data.

Shikamaru took a black felt pen and drew a circle over the area. “One team will work in the water over here,” He circled a small expanse of water, “and another over here.” This time he circled a few islands that were clustered together. “Another team will cover the islands further south. If nothing is found there, they will travel up and recon with the team back over here.” He drew arrows directing the course.

Gaara silently watched, his green eyes easily taking in all of the information. He did not want to be on the team assigned to traverse the oceans. He preferred land.

“I assume you have picked out the teams and chosen their designated areas?”

The whole room quieted down as he spoke. He rarely spoke; whenever he did, it was always best to listen. His impassive face gave none of his thoughts away.

Shikamaru glanced up and nodded lazily. “Yes, we have.”

He pulled out a piece of yellow lined paper and laid it down on the table for all to see. He pointed at each bubble he had drawn.

“Kiba, Hinata, and you, Gaara, will take to the waters by the larger islands.  Lee, Ten Ten, and Neji will search the islands that branch out. Kankuro, Temari, and myself will search the southern islands and the surrounding water.  Kakashi, Itachi and Iruka will go to the main islands near the west coast. Choji and Ino will be doing surveillance from the sky. Flares will be passed out. Only one is to be used if Sasuke and Naruto are found.”

Gaara’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. “Put me on one of the land teams. I detest water.”

Kiba looked over at the red head and rolled his eyes. “Oh sure, change everything ‘cuz someone’s a pussy that doesn’t like to get wet.” He muttered under his breath. Hinata heard him and blushed.

“Kiba!”

Gaara turned to him and stared at him. Kiba was annoyed that everyone always did what they could to please the man. He wasn’t even that threatening. Knowing that the red head was boring holes into him with his dangerous glare, Kiba ignored it masterfully. It didn’t seem to hurt that Hinata was apologizing profusely for him. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and sighed. He told Kakashi that Gaara wouldn’t agree, but the silver-haired man was too infatuated with his new friend to pay close attention.

“Okay, what if…” He took out a red pen and rewrote the teams. “Gaara, Temari and I go to the islands that branch out, Kiba, you, Hinata, and Kankuro will search the waters over there, and Lee, Ten Ten, and Neji will go to the southern waters. Sound good?”

Gaara nodded his head in agreement. Everyone else didn’t seem to mind the changes, beside Kiba who also hated water. Itachi’s impatient glare kept him silent.

Shikamaru sat down and let Kakashi take over. Kakashi unwillingly left Iruka and walked to the head of the table; he needed to discuss traveling means.

“Our options to get there are somewhat limited. We have the 595 iBR boat and the bayliner Element. Both are brand new and itching to be driven. Everyone will be riding in Itachi’s private jet. The boats will be secured and taken to the location where we will set them down on land. We all get out and Choji and Ino will keep watch from afar in a helicopter outfitted with radar detecting technology.”

Choji nodded. He had a pilot’s license and knew how to use any aircraft he laid his eyes on. He was known for his smooth flying; it was compared to butterfly wings.

Kiba slapped a hand on the table. “I want the 595.”

Kakashi shrugged and agreed. “That means the bayliner is going to Lee and the others.”

Ten Ten tapped the sheet. “Are you also assigning land transportation? You’ll travel faster with a 4x4 vehicle or something.”

Itachi spoke up. His dark eyes observed his employees. He was getting the slightest bit annoyed with his rather dim witted team. It was imperative that his brother be located; he would have to go easy on them. For now.

“These islands are uninhabited and wild. It most likely has dense undergrowth and an uneven ground. Quicksand and other natural deterrents will be everywhere. Traveling through that with vehicles will simply hold us back. It’ll be faster to travel by foot.”

He then stood up and looked at his watch. The meeting had run past its scheduled time and he was needed elsewhere. He glanced back up at his employees, pinning them each with his hard as ice eyes.

“We head out tomorrow. Wear appropriate clothing. Food and water will be provided and you will be compensated heavily. I expect to see you all here on time and ready to move out as soon as I give the signal. Tardiness will not be accepted; if you are late, your ass is fired. Now, do not go out and consume alcohol or any other drug. If you are not fully aware of your surroundings tomorrow, say good bye to ever having a job again. You’re excused.”

Leaving everyone’s ears ringing with his threats, Itachi departed from the room and quickly left the building.

Iruka nudged Kakashi who was hanging back in the room, studying the map. His fingers were tracing the lines drawn on the paper. His mismatched eyes were inspecting the map intently. When Kakashi looked up, Iruka nodded towards the crowd leaving.

“Is this something that regularly happens? All of those people seemed to know what was to be done and why.”

Kakashi grinned and shook his head. He yawned and raked a hand through his hair.

“They were a part of the company before I came over. Most of them specialized in going around the world as teams to deal with foreign companies. They all have skills in traversing different types of terrains and oceans, so Itachi decided it would be best to bring them aboard and have them help look for the boys.”

“Why not call the police? Or some other group that deals with murder attempts?”

“Well the police would ultimately be unable to find any evidence that would prove what had happened. They would probably write it off as a freak accident and tell us that we are conspirators or some other ridiculous concept.”

“Oh.” Iruka fell silent as he contemplated this. Kakashi dropped his hands on the smaller man’s shoulders and steered him out the door.

“We should probably rest up early. Tomorrow is going to be one busy day.”

Iruka let the man push him towards the elevator. Once inside, he turned to him.

“But wouldn’t it be better to go right now? They could be in danger for all we know.”

Kakashi rubbed his chin and shook his head once, leaning back on the elevator wall.

“After how long they’ve been stuck wherever they are, a few more hours shouldn’t be too much for them to handle. Besides, there are no outside dangers to work against us. Orochimaru and his henchmen believe Sasuke is dead, so they won’t be bothering us soon because they think Itachi would be devastated by the loss of his little brother and be in mourning somewhere. Nobody knows where they are, just us. The plane hasn’t been on the news, so that means it is somewhere remote and probably uncivilized.”

Iruka sighed and rubbed his nose scar. “I guess you’re right. They should be perfectly safe until we arrive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to cockblock you all, I just got hella busy.


	19. Shit is about to get real

Sakura walked out of the edge of the forest and nimbly made her way to the waterfall's shore. Her stewardess outfit had rips all over and the hem of her skirt was frayed. Her pink hair was dotted with bit of leaves and dirt. She had streaks of mud covering her face. Waving, she came up to the water's edge and stopped.

Naruto immediately began to swim towards her. Happy to know that she was alive, Naruto smiled his trademark grin and waved wildly back at her.

Sasuke frowned. He followed the blond, but slowly wading out rather than swimming. The annoying pink-haired girl was back. He couldn't say he was glad to see her; he actually couldn't give two shits if she was dead or alive. But now she was here, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere him Naruto had. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly as he watched his dobe go to the girl like a lost puppy. Suspiciously, he watched the two of them launch into a conversation.  _Last time Naruto tried to talk to her, she was too busy drooling over me to pay him any attention. Now she's his new best friend? ... Something seems weird about this. How did she even get off the plane?..._

Sakura smiled widely at the hyperactive blond. He had brought her over to the little camp area they had and had even given her some fish to eat. She accepted it willingly; the island had very little to choose from for nutrition.

"And this is how you cook it so it doesn't have anything to make you sick."

Naruto demonstrated how to properly hold the raw fish over the fire and what not to do. Excited to be around another person that wasn't a horny Sasuke, he kept up a constant flow of banter.

"Oh, I see. What kind of wood do you use?" She questioned sweetly.

Naruto got to his feet and lightly limped over to the jungle. "I'll show you, hold on!"

He disappeared into the thick foliage and was gone. Sighing, Sakura let her sugary smile slip of her face and a scowl of disgust replace it. Rolling her eyes, she picked a piece of leaf off of her skirt.  _Finally he's gone. I thought he'd never shut up._ Standing up, she looked around and spotted Sasuke. He was on the other side of the clearing, near some sort of shelter. Munching on a bit of fish, she began to wander towards him. As she did, she contemplated her orders from Orochimaru. She was supposed to get rid of the annoying one and take Sasuke to Kabuto for retrieval. But judging by what she had seen earlier, it wasn't going to be easy separating them.

She had been wandering around and had heard voices. Surprised to hear any, she wandered in its direction and had found Sasuke and the blond one making out in the clearing. At first she had been shocked at seeing them alive, then stunned that they were together. That soon wore off to contempt as she received her new orders. It would be easier to take out the blond one first and then force Sasuke to comply, but since they seemed to be a couple, her plan wasn't going to be executed easily. Nevertheless, she was still going to try. The fact that Sasuke was extremely attractive aided her plan heavily.

Sasuke heard footsteps approaching him from behind. Thinking it was Naruto, he smirked and prepared a smug remark especially tailored for the blond man. A cold unfamiliar hand lightly danced across his naked back and made its way to his shoulder as the person made their way to face him. It was the girl. His smirk disintegrated and was replaced by a frown of annoyance and distaste. He smoothly removed the hand from his shoulder and stepped away.

"Hey, Sasuke. What are you doing over here all by yourself?"

The girl blinked her wide eyes at him and smiled cheerfully. She held her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels. Finding himself getting increasingly irritated with the girl for no discernible reason, Sasuke turned his back to her.

"Hn."

"Oh, the strong and silent type; I remember from on conversations on the plane." She watched on as Sasuke walked away from her and began to work on the outside of his shelter.

Sasuke yanked off a couple of dead palm fronds. They had wilted and needed to be replaced before another storm came in. Unfortunately for him, Sakura decided to stick around and watch him as he worked. Plopping down on the ground in front of the raven and his hut, she watched him closely and admired his handiwork.

"You must have worked really hard on this. It looks amazing. Way better than the one Naruto had. His was just awful; yours is much nicer."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Sasuke responded coldly.

Although he knew his shelter was better, that didn't mean he was up for bashing on his dobe's hard work. It had been a good idea to build, but Naruto just didn't build it correctly. Ripping more fronds off, Sasuke hurried to get them all off. Chances were she would continue to stick around no matter what; his best chance at getting away from her was to lose her in the dense jungle while he gathered more fronds. But is he was gone, who's to say she wouldn't go after Naruto?...

Brushing off his cold tone as if he had said nothing, Sakura beamed at him.

"Do you need any help? I feel useless just sitting here."

She jumped up and got into the raven's personal space as he was bending over to shove more sand at the base of his shelter. She placed a hand on his forearm and scrunched up some sand in her other.

"I'm really good with my hands…"

Looking at Sasuke through her eyelashes, she blinked slowly at him and bit her lip. Sasuke simply stared at her impassively until she removed her hand and her smile faltered.

"I don't need help, especially from you."

"I could get Naruto to come help…"

"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly. I said I don't  _need_  any help."

Shoving past her, he strode into the jungle and quickly disappeared behind the giant green leaves. Just as he left, Naruto came popping out of the other side of the clearing from behind a couple of trees.

"Hey Sakura! I found some of the wood you wanted to see!"

Frustrated with getting no results with Sasuke, Sakura decided to turn her attention to Naruto. The taller man might have a heart of stone and an impenetrable wall of emotions, but she was positive the smaller man didn't. Smiling a sickeningly sweet grin, Sakura meandered over to the excited blond. Faking interest, she inspected the wood and made appropriate comments.

Naruto dropped all the wood he had gathered near the fire pit and looked around. Noticing a severe lack of spiky midnight hair, he frowned and began to squint towards the jungle's edge to see if he could spot any. Not seeing what he was looking for, Naruto cocked his head and turned to Sakura.

"Hey Sakura, where did Sasuke go?"

Upon hearing Sasuke's name, Sakura perked up and turned to the blond. Shrugging, she nodded towards the stripped hut.

"He said he was going to fix up his shelter." Her eyes widening unperceptively at an idea she had, Sakura smirked and dropped the twigs she had been falsely observing. Dusting her hands off, she pushed a strand of pink behind her ear and clasped crossed her arms.

"Naruto, why does Sasuke think you're stupid?"

Confused, Naruto stood straight up and looked at the pink-haired girl. She was now moving around small pebbles on the ground with her toes. When she looked up and met his gaze, her sea-foam green eyes were filled with pity and sympathy.

"Wait what? What do you mean?"

"I mean that you built that little hut thing over there, right?"

Still confused, Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah…."

"Sasuke told me you did, and he said you were completely useless and didn't know how to build anything. I mean, that's harsh. I tried to tell him that you did a good job, but you just needed to work on it, and he told me, "'Flattery will get you nowhere'. He's not very nice, is he?"

Shocked, Naruto shook his head and smiled widely. "He was probably joking. The bastard can say some hard things, but he doesn't mean them." Shrugging off the uneasy feeling that was slowly beginning to brew inside him, Naruto bent down and began to place the twigs into bundles to burn. "Besides, the teme wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for me."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. Pressing her lips tightly together, she watched with disdain as the blond started a small fire.  _You're the reason he's alive? You're the reason I failed my mission?..._  Glaring daggers at the unsuspecting blond, Sakura bent down next to him and began to help pile up the pieces of wood.

"If that's true, why did he almost bite me when I offered to get you to help him? I don't want to seem like I'm being nosy or gossiping, but he almost yelled at me that he didn't want you help. I honestly don't think he likes you."

Naruto's hands faltered as he struggled to keep the waning fire burning. His thoughts were a jumbled mess as they ricocheted around in his skull.  _Is she telling the truth? Is that what Sasuke really thinks of me? That I'm useless and ….a nuisance? But he hasn't said anything like that since we slept together, so that doesn't make any sense. Why would he?_

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, I just think you shouldn't trust him so readily. He is a business shark and knows how to put up a front to get on people's good side."

"But he hasn't done that, he's just messing around."

Even to his own ears, Naruto heard how weak his argument was.

Sakura just shrugged and pushed more sticks into the pile.

"I'm just speaking from an outsider's perspective. You don't need to pay attention to what I said. Besides, you seem pretty nice."

Naruto smiled weakly at her and stepped away from the fire. "Thanks for the advice, but I'm sure Sasuke was just being his moody, bastard self." Hearing a rustling noise interrupt the tense silence that followed his last statement, Sakura and Naruto looked for the source of the noise. Sasuke came out into the clearing. He had several large, dark green fronds in his hands that he was dragging over to the shelter. Not sparing the other two a glance, he immediately began to fix up his home.

xXx

"Done."

Sasuke wiped his forehead with the back of his right hand. After nearly an hour of fixing vines and tying down leaves, he finished. Inspecting his handiwork, he was pleased with the results. Hearing his stomach growl loudly, Sasuke wandered over to the fire pit where several fish were freshly cooked, courtesy of Naruto. The blond had caught some and had cooked for all three of them. He was now sitting next to the pit, slowly eating his own lunch. Sasuke grabbed a medium sized fish; he bit into it and began to eat earnestly. Plopping down next to the blond, he was pleasantly surprised to find no pink haired beings. After eating for a few minutes, he became aware of how quiet the usually rambunctious blond was. Swallowing the last bit of fish, he nudged the smaller man.

"Hey dobe. Are you alright?"

Naruto glanced up at him and nodded slowly. "I'm okay." He then twisted around and turned his back to the raven unconsciously.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Clearly, he was not okay. Picking up his second meal, he watched Naruto from the corner of his eye. The smaller man had a spaced out look on his face. He appeared confused and …sad? Why? Was it because he-

"Hey, Sasuke! I'm back!"

Sakura popped out of the jungle and made her way over to the boys. Cheerfully, she sat down uncomfortably close to the raven and kept trying to touch him.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto greeted her.

"You guys were lucky to find such a good little place to hand out in. I was stuck wandering from place it place. It got worse when it started to rain.

Sasuke cocked his head and turned to her. "How did you survive getting off the plane?" He asked bluntly.

Sakura blinked owlishly at him. "…What? Oh, I um…jumped off."

"You wouldn't have survived a fall like that. And weren't you in the cock pit when it exploded?"

Naruto was listening in on the conversation and his curiosity peaked as he had also been wondering how she got off.

"Well, I…was near one of the windows and when the bomb hit, I got sucked out as the glass broke and fell into the ocean."

"Oi Sasuke, didn't you tell me that a fall at that height would kill us? You said we'd be turned into pancakes when we'd hit the water."

"That's right. It would be impossible to go unscathed after an explosion and a fall like that. And you seem to be perfectly fine."

Sakura smiled widely at the boys.  _Dammit, how the hell do I explain this? Fucking Uchiha. No wonder Orochimaru wants to use him. He's clever._  "I guess I just don't really remember. It was all of a sudden. I think the pilot might have protected me in the cock pit before I was flung out." Sasuke stared at here, his obsidian eyes boring into her green ones. She could tell that he didn't really believe her story.

Sasuke created a list of what she was saying. Adding it up, he couldn't see any of those things happening.  _The pilot protected her? Then he would have been blown up by the bomb in the pit. But we saw him earlier. He had been alive when he was attacked by the beast. A struggle was shown by how he had bites and scratches all over his arms. ….And how did she know the explosions were bombs? It could have been anything from a faulty electrical wire to malfunctioning plane control panels…._

Naruto felt sorry for her and patted her back. Sasuke twitch as he watched his dobe touch something he didn't like. "We, nearly, got blown up too. I'd probably be dead if Sasuke's hadn't saved me when the third bomb went off."

"But, we're all here and that's what matters." Sakura quickly tried to change the subject before the shrewd raven could ask more incriminating questions. Launching into a sleep inducing rant about clothes, Sakura knew she had to act quickly. The more time she was here, the more time Sasuke had time to piece things together and figure out who she really was. It was a matter of time before he would tell Naruto and she would have to deal with both of them at the same time, making things exponentially more difficult for her. She would have to speed things along, and she knew exactly how.

xXx

Sasuke dove into the crystal clear water. Having Sakura around made trying to seduce Naruto all the more difficult. It didn't help that the blond seemed to be increasingly lost in thought whenever he was around. Annoyed, he decided to take a dip into the water to cool down and pass the time. Popping his head out, he raked his bangs back and did a couple of breaststrokes. Besides him, the clearing was empty. Naruto had once again disappeared into the jungle and Sakura kept intermittently vanishing and reappearing. He didn't believe what she had told them one bit. Naruto might have been fooled, but he could see the gaping plot holes in her tale from far away. Not only that, but he had begun to notice that every time he would see the two of them together, Naruto would become distant to him. He wouldn't even yell at him for insulting his dilapidated shelter. In fact, he seemed to upset him whenever he would tease him about it. Something wasn't right.

Sakura carved another mark on the tree. Making sure that it was partially concealed, she placed the mark where she had been instructed too. Once Kabuto spotted one on another tree, he would easily make his way to the campsite and help her retrieve Sasuke as she dealt with Naruto. Smiling, she thought of the reward she would most certainly get from Orochimaru. It was most likely money, which she did not mind at all. Giggling, she shoved the sharp knife into the holster attached to her thigh and carefully made her way back.

She noticed that the blond wasn't around. A perfect opportunity to set her plan in motion. Spotting Sasuke swimming expertly in the water, she couldn't help but admire his lean physique and toned muscles. His pale skin contrasted gorgeously with his pale skin and deep, bottomless eyes. The sinewy muscles bunch and stretched perfectly as he cut through the wavy water of the pool. Biting her lip, she made sure that her blade was securely hidden and began to make her way over to him. Wading deeper into the water, she noticed that the raven hadn't seen her yet.

Sasuke popped out of the water again and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had accidentally gotten water up his nose. His nose was stinging painfully. Wiping the water from out of his eyes, he groaned as he waited for the pain to dissipate.

Sakura came up behind him and nudged him. "Hey Sasuke, look at this."

Sasuke stiffened as he heard the insanely annoying voice violate his eardrums. Not bothering to answer, he vainly tried to will her away with his mine, but to no avail. Unfortunately, she had become Uchiha death stare resistant, just like some sick bacteria.

She nudged him again, this time harder. "Look, it's really important."

The raven contemplated diving back under the water an seeing for how long he could hold his breath until she left him alone.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as the tall man continued to ignore her. Fortunately for her, she knew his weakness. "Naruto said to show it to you, that you'd like it."

Curiously overtaking him, Sasuke mentally sighed and turned to face the annoying pink leech. "What is it?" He asked in a 'I-don't-have-time-for-this' tone.

It was just how she thought he would react. Sakura quickly thrust her hands in the water. "Oh no, I dropped it!" She wailed out. "Quick help me find it, or Naruto is going to be upset."

Sasuke inspected the water nearby. Since it was so crystal clear, he didn't need to work that hard to look. Not seeing anything, he shook his head.

"I see nothing. What was it?"

"Oh I see it! It's near your feet."

Sasuke looked all around his feet but didn't see anything special or out of the ordinary. His toes were simply slightly hidden in the sandy bottom of the pool and there were smooth pebbles here and there with long underwater plants. "Where? There is nothing near my feet."

"Just bend down a bit more and you'll see it."

Sasuke frowned and complied, bending down a bit more. Sakura made her move.

She reached up and yanked down Sasuke's head, pressing her lips tightly against his. Shocked, Sasuke stood stock still, his mind piecing together what was happening.

Naruto came dragging a piece of plane wall into the clearing. Now that Sakura was here, she would need a place to sleep under. Knowing that the teme didn't like her, Naruto knew it was up to him to build one for her. He was still a bit hurt by what she told him about what Sasuke said, but he was trying to brush it off as a joke even though it stayed in his mind.

Propping it up against a tree, he glanced around and searched for his friends. Turning towards the lake, he froze. Sasuke and Sakura were in the water, lip locked. His blue gems shot wide open and his mouth gaped in disbelief as his chest began to hurt.  _What?..._

**_xXx_ **

**10:00 am**

Iruka woke up to Kakashi's alarm going off. Yawning, he sleepily blinked and ran a hand through his hair. He was on his side with Kakashi spooning him comfortably from behind. Used to the cuddling that the silver haired man did in his sleep, and even when he was fully awake, Iruka nudged him with his elbow gently in the ribs. He had learned that Kakashi liked to grab onto things in his sleep and would not let go until he woke up. He wasn't going to be able to get out of bed unless Kakashi let him.

The taller man simply mumbled groggily and nuzzled his face into Iruka's loose hair. The arm tightened around his waist and pulled the smaller man flush against his body. He was really comfortable and wanted to never move from this position. He would only move if it were for a different position….

Iruka squirmed and blushed heavily. Enveloped by the intoxicating minty smell that was Kakashi, Iruka wanted to press even closer together and stay there. "Kakashi. It's time to get up. We have to eat breakfast and go."

"Five more minutes. Five more, and we can get up."

"….Fine. Five and then we get out of bed." Iruka let himself snuggled into the warmth of the other mans' body as he waited.

Five minutes came and went. Kakashi had not moved a muscle. Iruka wiggled against him. "Kakashi, it's been more than five minutes! Let go!"

"Hmm, nope." Kakashi grinned devilishly. Iruka's wiggling and squirming around while pressed seamlessly against his body made his skin sing out with excitement.

"But we have to go…. What, do you want to spend all day in bed?"

"With you? I could spend months in bed."

Iruka's eyes widened. His face turning bright red, he began to stutter as his heart rate sped up.

"T-that's absurd. Now let g-go."

Kakashi rolled over and tugged the smaller man underneath him, effectively pinning him down. Iruka's wide brown eyes were staring directly into Kakashi's own mismatched pair. Trapped, Iruka could only feel oddly exposed as the strange pair of eyes seemingly stared straight into his soul.

Kakashi bent his head down and gently skimmed his nose along the tan, trembling jawline. Inhaling deeply, he pulled back and met the shocked chocolate gaze.

"What's so absurd, Iruka?" Kakashi sinfully purred. His voice drizzled on Iruka's ears like honey. Feeling the smaller man shiver underneath him, Kakashi bent back down and began to nip lightly on deliciously tan collar bones.

"K-Kakashi….What a-are you d-doing?" Iruka asked, his voice weak and shaky.

"What I've been burning to do since I saw you in the airport. Why?" His lips traveled to the delicate shells of Iruka's ears and bit down gently. He gently kissed the area he had bit before running his tongue over the bite marks. He then made his way over to the tan column of Iruka's neck and began to suck on a patch of skin.

"Why?! Because we…I…."

Trailing off, Iruka's breathing had become fast and wild. His mouth had gone bone dry and his heart was trying to leap out of his chest.

"Yes?" Kakashi teased, knowing he had the smaller man under his spell. He knew how to use his sexy rugged looks to seduce and damn did he want to unleash their full potential on the delectable man underneath him.

Iruka found he couldn't form a coherent thought as the man above him was covering his neck in hickeys. The taller man's hot tongue on his overly sensitive skin set his body on fire with an unforgiving need. Lighting streaks of fire ran across his body, only to pool at his groin where his cock began to throb lightly. Biting back a moan, Iruka unconsciously pressed his hips up into Kakashis', who made things worse by grinding down hard.

Iruka let out a deep moan of unadulterated pleasure shamelessly. His mind had ceased all comprehensible transmissions to his mouth and had let his body take over.

Kakashi's lips traveled over to Irukas' where he placed a deep kiss. He delved into the wet cavern and staked his place. He memorized every small space in Iruka's mouth, forever addicted to the delicious taste of the tan man. Iruka put up a valiant effort at trying to invade the silver haired man's mouth, but fell victim to Kakashi's overwhelming skills. Rolling off of the dazed Iruka, Kakashi got out of bed and stretched, adjusting his now unbearably tight boxers. Exhibiting massive willpower, he struggled not to climb back into the warm sheets and ravish the chocolate treat underneath. His happy member pulsed against his shorts; it was still waiting for the no pants party to start. Sadly, it would not continue. Not for a while, anyway.

"Unfortunately, I can't do everything I wanted to do, so we'll have to settle for this. We do have some lost boys to find." Whistling, he strutted downstairs in his boxers.

Iruka blinked. His mouth open in disbelief, he had no idea what to say or what to do. The places that had been touched by Kakashi's lips and body were scorching hot. The tan man brought up a hand and rubbed his neck.  _Wow….oh God…._ Trying to calm his racing heart, he crawled out of bed and walked awkwardly into the bathroom. Turning on the water in the shower stall, he turned the nozzle all the way to the cold water. Jumping when the icy water struck his skin, he looked up into the full view mirror in the stall. His eyes zeroed onto his neck; the tan skin was dotted with dark marks. Swallowing, he tried to analyze what had happened. It was now clearly obvious that Kakashi did like him, meaning that he was not alone. As much as this excited the little voice in the back of his head, he couldn't help but think of the negative side of things. Now that he knew his feelings were reciprocated, what would happen? He had never been in a sexual relationship before and didn't know exactly how one worked. He wasn't stupid and completely ignorant; rather he was just inexperienced and shy. An intimate relationship was foreign to him and he didn't know how to react.  _What if he and Kakashi ended up dating? What if Kakashi got tired of him because of his naivety? Would the silver haired man simply move on to something more exciting?_  He didn't think the taller man would; he wasn't liked that, but he couldn't help thinking about it.

His worry warring with his excitement, he willed his erection away and quickly got out before he got hypothermia. Deciding to deal with it later, when his heart was calm, his body not ravaged by hormones, and his mind in a more rational state, Iruka dressed and met the silver haired man downstairs. Kakashi went back to his usual touching and caressing while Iruka spent less and less time trying to get away.

**11:42 am**

Arriving at the parking lot of a massive private hangar on Uchiha owned lands, Kakashi and Iruka got out of the black car. The huge structure towered over them, casting a huge shadow. The hangar's giant doors were slid open, revealing a small collection of planes inside. All were brand new and glossy, just waiting to take flight. The nearest one had the hatch open and a set of stairs coming out.

Almost all of the team members were there. Everyone had exchanged their formal suits to clothing more appropriate for traversing the wild. Donned in black military like fatigues, Kiba, Hinata, and Kankuro were all standing near a small table with a map on it. Hinata and Kankuro were quietly discussing the best route to take to cover more land. Kiba was busy adjusting his dark combat boots and tightening his gloves. Near the plane's open door, Shikamaru was modifying his fatigues. Temari was helping him out with the straps on the back of his jacket as Gaara silently watched. Neji and Ten Ten drove up and quickly joined the party. They quickly went over last minute details. Close behind them was Lee. Instead of wearing the black fatigues like everyone else, he had donned on a pair of viciously green fatigues with matching green shoes. Nobody said anything as he ran around the room, overly excited and anxious to go.

**12:03 am**

Itachi popped out of the plane and looked around. Everyone seemed to be here and ready. He motioned for all of them to come inside as he headed back in. Everyone quickly got on the plane found seats. The plane was fairly large on the inside, with ample room to move through. The seats were set in pairs of two with a wide gap in front of them before the next set started. The dark gray material of the seats worked perfectly with the darker interior of the plane. Once inside, everyone began to talk wander through the plane. A mini bar was in the back, near the bathroom.

Kakashi and Iruka took their seats near the front of the plane. Iruka sat down next to the window. Both of them had changed into the same dark clothing as everyone else. The loose material was extremely comfortable. Now they sat down and talked quietly as they waited for Itachi to tell them it was go time.

"Kiba, come here."

Itachi commanded from the plane's intercom system. Kiba went up and quickly came back with a wide white case. Opening it, he reached in and pulled out a fire arm. He handed one to Kakashi, then one to Iruka.

Iruka looked down at the weapon in his hand and then turned to Kiba. "And what am I going to use this for?"

Kiba scratched his head. "Protection. Duh." He made his way down the aisle, handing everyone a gun like they were party gifts.

"From what?"

Kakashi answered him, taking the gun from his hand and placing it down carefully in his lap. He didn't know how Iruka was with guns, but he sure as hell was not going to get shot at today.

"The region we're going to be searching through with Itachi is known to be home to vicious jaguars. If we find some, they probably will try to eat us, so we need to be able to defend ourselves somehow."

Faintly, Iruka had thoughts of Naruto and Sasuke getting attacked by a jaguar.  _Oh boy. Naruto better be okay. He's put me through enough grief as it is…_

**12:27**

Everyone strapped in looked out the windows as the plane rolled out of the hangar and onto a runway. Choji was up in the cockpit with Ino and Itachi. The plane gained speed as is traveled down the runway. As it slowly began to leave the ground, the wheels of the plane disappeared back into the underside. The deafening roar of the plane's engines muted as it took flight.

**12:58**

Itachi came out of the cock pit with a couple of gray rectangular boxes in his hands. He tore a box open and took out an earpiece. It looked just like the ones seen in movies with the secret service men. He went around the plane and gave each team a set.

"These can communicate over a 25 mile radius. Use them if you need to. If Sasuke is spotted, I am the first to know. They also have a built in tracking device in case one of you is stupid enough to break away from your team and get lost in the ocean. They are waterproof and are sensitive enough to pick up whispers."

He then slipped on one and demonstrated how to turn it on and off, and how to use the small mike without making someone's ear bleed or cause irreversible hearing damage.

Iruka had to sit still as Kakashi adjusted his. He had never worn one before and was having difficulty putting it on. Kakashi's hands would gently caress his neck and would cause shivers to race down his spine. He'd blush and the taller man would smile sinfully. Once Kakashi properly fixed it, they tested them out and were satisfied with the results. Gazing out of his window, he watched as the blue sky darkened into a menacing gray color. A bad storm was coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I wrote another short little SN fic and the first chapter has been posted. While you wait for an update, feel free to check it out. You might like it :)  
> ~MTB


	20. Chevaliers de Sangreal

Orochimaru smiled evilly as he gazed upon his obedient subordinates. He had summoned them in his private hangar and was pleasantly delighted to have them all here and on time. The youngest Uchiha would be his in just a few short hours. Blissfully, he thought of how he and the boy would bring about the destruction of the Uchiha Enterprises, catapulting his company to be the best. It would be magnificent, watching the one, great Uchiha empire fall and Itachi falling with it. Licking his lips, his eyes shone at the thought of becoming the best. He turned to his assistants and pinned them all with his hard glare.

"You all know why I called you here. You are to find and retrieve Sasuke Uchiha. Do not harm a hair on his head, or your life will be used as compensation. It is absolutely vital that he be brought here untouched and intact. If you see anyone else, as highly as unlikely it may be, feel free to dispense of them. Leave no witnesses, including the blonde one."

"Yes, sir!"

The five of them stood all in a line, side by side from shortest to tallest. Each had on a dark green fatigue outfits and small backpacks. In their hands, held close to their chests, each one held M16 assault rifle. If they couldn't harm Sasuke, they were going to intimidate him. Although it seemed a bit much for a retrieval mission, it was always a bonus to be prepared for the unexpected. Several dangerous wild animals inhabited the island and they needed to be careful.

Kabuto stepped out of the sleek black plane they would be traveling in. He made his way down the metal steps and stood next to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, we're ready to move out. I have a lock on Sakura's signal and she should be waiting for us now."

"Well then, let's not keep her waiting." Orochimaru stepped away from the plane gave his henchmen a last bit of instructions. "You will each be dropped off in a different section of the island. Report every thirty minutes. Do not fail me."

Each of his henchmen nodded their head and headed off into the plane. Kabuto had returned to the plane and taken his spot as pilot; he flicked on a bunch of switches and adjusted his headset. His eyes narrowed as he watched the sky. Although it was going to be rough to fly in a storm, it was imperative he do so. If Orochimaru wanted it, he would do it. He flashed the seatbelt sign and reminded everyone to settle in. Swirls of gray ran into the blue and darkened it.

The interior of the plane had four sets of white leather seats placed around small round tables. A wide aisle was in between the sets, allowing for plenty of room for walking. One of the sets had a TV installed inside of the wooden cabinets near the cockpit. The cabin was lit up by the soft glow of overhead lights, giving the plane a nice warm color.

Tayuya sat down in one of the leather seats and ignored Kabuto's warning.

"I don't have to put on a seatbelt if I don't fucking want to!" She crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat, propping her legs up on the table.

Jirobo shook his head and buckled in, adjusting the seat to his larger frame. He looked over across the aisle at Tayuya and chided her. "Ladies shouldn't swear. The seatbelt is to protect you."

Tayuya rolled her eyes and glared at him. "I don't give a fuck if I shouldn't swear. I'm going to if I want to. Protect us from what? Planes don't just blow up…ya gotta put bombs on them, first." She giggled. "Boom." She mimicked an explosion with her hands. "Or better yet, the sky police is gonna come and arrest me for not wearing a stupid seatbelt."

Jirobo sighed and took out a bag of chips from his backpack. The trip was going to take a while and he was hungry. He took out a small IPod and to listen to music quietly.

Playing on a small game console attached to the TV, Kidomaru furiously mashed the buttons as he controlled his avatar. Laughing at Tayuya's comment, he started a new level. "How long do you think this is going to take, anyway?"

His answer came from near the back of the plane. Sakon was coming out from the bathroom and was drying his hands by wiping them down his shirt. Damp marks streaked down the front. "It'll take a few hours to get there and around half an hour to get Sasuke. Since Sakura is wearing a tracking bug, it'll be really easy."

His twin brother, Ukon, was coming from the opposite direction. He was up front near the wooden cabinets and the cockpit. "I found a refrigerator." He shook a can of soda in his hand. "Anyone want something to drink?"

"Hell yeah, I do."

Tayuya leapt out of her seat and made her way to the small built in fridge. Eyeing the contents, she pulled out a Pepsi. Chugging it, she finished half of the can and let out a huge burp. Jiboro grimaced and pulled out an earbud.

"Ladies shouldn't be burping. It's not proper etiquette."

"Like I give a shit about etiquette. Stop telling me what to do, fatso."

Jirobo said nothing. Sakon rolled his eyes. "Are you just going to let her talk to you like that, birdbrain?" Silence met his question. "...Figures you would."

Sakon scoffed and drank down his soda. Falling into the seat next to Tayuya, he leaned back and smiled. "This is going to be so easy. Orochimaru couldn't have given us an easier job than this one."

"How do you think it's going to work out? Will Sasuke just turn and start working for Orochimaru, or will he put up a fight?" Kidomaru leaned in as the game intensified and needed more concentration. His eyes narrowing, he grimaced as his avatar took a hit. _Son of a bitch. I'll teach you to hit me, asshole._

Tatuya scoffed. Even if he doesn't want to, Orochimaru is going to get his way. Besides, if he does put up a fight, I'll just 'convince' him not to. Weak bastard, I could take him out easily." Crushing the empty can in her hand, she threw it on the floor. Not her plane, not her problem.

"Well duh. Have you seen him?" Ukon glanced up from a magazine he had been idly flipping through. He had taken a seat across from Jirobo. "He has no muscle or height. He's nothing, just like a piece of trash. It'd be like taking out a kid."

"He is a kid; of course it'll be nothing to get rid of him. We can't touch him, but at least we can have some fun with the other guy."

They all looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.

**xXx**

Sakura was kissing Sasuke. Sakura was kissing a half-naked Sasuke. Sakura was kissing _Naruto's_ half-naked Sasuke, and Sasuke wasn't pulling away.

Naruto ripped his gaze away and glared at the ground. His heart beating painfully fast in his chest, he swallowed heavily and tightly closed his eyes. A feeling of betrayal inundated him as he kept replaying what he had seen in his head over and over. _I guess I was right. He was just using me to pass the time. All I was, was another knot on his belt._ He snapped a small innocent twig that was in his hands in half. His fists clenching and unclenching, he pressed his lips tightly together and threw the branch angrily into a bush. Anger was overriding his feeling of betrayal. He was furious at the raven for using him, but most of all, he was furious with himself for letting the raven get close enough to hurt him. Sakura had been right. Sasuke really didn't care about him. But he now didn't trust either of them. Sakura had seemed like she was on his side, but she was just using him to get to Sasuke. _Fine by me. They deserve each other_. He thought bitterly. Turning on his heel, he strode back into the jungle, needing to be alone for some time. If he were to talk to Sasuke now, there's no telling what would happen.

Sasuke regained his senses and shoved the pink haired leech off of him. Having thrust her hard away from him, she went flailing into the water. _What the fuck….?_

Sputtering, Sakura sat up and coughed loudly. Water had gone up into her nose and it was hurting. Rubbing the water out of her eyes, she glared up at the pissed raven. Noting his expression, she gulped and scooted back slightly.

Sasuke marched over to her and used his taller stature to tower over her. Pinning her in place with his obsidian eyes, he raised an angry eyebrow. His voice was low and dangerous as he spoke.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"I-I just wanted to-"

"Don't give me that bullshit. What are you playing at?"

"Sasuke, I don't know what you mean, I-"

"I told you to cut the shit. I know you're not as innocent as you act. You're up to something, and it involves me and Naruto. What is it?"

Saskura's eyes narrowed as the man spoke. Crossing her arms across her chest, she leaned back on one leg and cocked her head. _Fuck, just how much does he know?_

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." She avoided meeting his eyes, casting them to the sandy ground.

"Then allow me to clarify it for you." Sasuke's dark eyes flashed at her and he smirked evilly. Above him, the darkening sky seemed to reflect his mood. Thick heavy gray clouds crawled across the heavens and blotted out the sun, allowing only small patches of sunlight to seep through. "You didn't just randomly find us. You've been searching for us. I don't know exactly why, but something tells me it has to do with the fact that we survived the plane crash."

Nervously, Sakura's green eyes darted around the clearing, searching for something to use to distract the menacing man. Earlier, out of the corner of her eye, she had seen a mop of blond hair standing stock still. Naruto had seen them. She expected the blond to come and make a scene, but was surprised to not see him anywhere. Now, Naruto was nowhere to be seen and Kabuto still hadn't arrived. Options limited, she went with playing clueless until an opportunity arrived.

"I'm serious, what are you talking about? I barely survived the crash myself."

"It would have been impossible for you to have survived the bomb in the cockpit. The pilot "protecting you" is a lie. The pilot was mauled and eaten by a cat on the island. There is no way in hell he could have saved you. The truth is that he and you got off first. Somehow you managed to get separated and he got killed. My guess is that you're the ones that set off the bombs."

Sakura glared up at the raven. She pressed her lips in a thin hard line and scowled. _How did he find out about Kimimaro? Mauled by a what? FUCK he knows everything…..Kabuto, get your ass here before he bails and I have to drastic measures._

Noticing that the girl went silent, Sasuke knew he had her cornered. Smirking cockily, he stepped away from her. "I won't tell Naruto anything, but just know that I'm watching you. I'm curious as to your motive, but I'm guessing it's confidential. I'll figure it out sooner or later."

Sasuke waded past her and made his way to the pool's shore. He was feeling immensely arrogant and cocky at having been right. His eyes now circled the clearing, looking for his dobe.

Sakura gaped at him in disbelief. He was letting her go? He knew, but he wasn't going to do anything about it? Was he becoming stupid from being around Naruto all the time? _But then again, he doesn't know for sure, so he can't incriminate me for anything. Is he bluffing?_

"One more thing." Sasuke stopped walking. Turning his head slightly towards her, he stared at her with one fathomless orb. His bangs slid onto his face and cast a dark shadow across it, highlighting the danger in his lone eye. "Stay away from Naruto. I don't want you near him."

Sakura got wobbly to her feet. Wringing water out of her skirt, she sneered at him. "What, is he your property? I don't see your name on him."

"He is my property." Sasuke deadpanned. "And he will have it soon. Stay away from what's mine or there will be a severe price to pay." His tone icy, Sasuke turned on his heel and went into the jungle. He had been denied his dobe for far too long.

"I'm not so sure he wants to be your property, now."

Sasuke stopped cold in his tracks. Getting an uneasy feeling, he twisted around and glared at the pink haired wench in disgust.

"What are you talking about?"

Sakura grinned at him and waded towards him. "I'm talking about the fact that your little lover might not want you anymore." She bit her lip and tilted her head back, giving the tense raven an arrogant smile.

"What did you do?"

Sasuke's tone took a dive and met up with the temperature in Antarctica. His fathomless eyes attempted to telepathically bore holes into her. His hands fisting at his sides, he resisted the urge to go and plow his fist into the smug pink haired leech. _What the fuck had she done?_

" _I_ didn't do anything. It was all your words."

She said softly, enjoying Sasuke's poker face. Flicking a piece of hair from her face, she got out of the pool and strutted to the small dying fire. The air had gotten cold and she needed to be as warm as possible. Being cold limited her movements. For the plan to work, she needed to be as mobile as possible. Crouching down next to the small pile of warmth, she added a few twigs that Naruto had brought earlier.

"What the hell did you tell him?"

"That's confidential, for me to know and for you to find out. But by all means, go ask him."

Sasuke cursed under his breath and strode over to his shelter. Shoving his legs into his trousers, he yanked them up and buttoned them. Sakura's words were reverberating loudly in his head. Her words clearly stated that she had done something and Naruto was not happy with him. He could only assume she lied to him somehow and tried to get them against each other. He just didn't know _what_ she could have possibly said. She mentioned that it was his words she used, so it had to be something that he said. But what had he said that would incriminate himself?

He pushed into the jungle and began to search. Getting a feeling that something big was going to happen soon, he hurriedly shoved thick leaves out of the way and mapped out the areas Naruto could be hiding in. Chances were he'd stick close, but in somewhere hard to find.

After half an hour of searching, Sasuke was beginning to get desperate. Naruto was nowhere to be found! And he was positive he was probably lost. He had been trying to use waterfall to gage the direction he was walking in, but at one point had stopped looking and now was pretty lost.

Scratching his scalp with a cold hand, he shivered and glared around. That bitch was going to pay. Once for turning his dobe against him; two, for making him wander around in the cold. Sighing, he kept looking, furtively calling out Naruto's name periodically.

Another half hour and he was worrying for Naruto. If the weather kept up, it would be pouring rain soon. Freezing rain. That meant they were going to have to share the shelter. Fuck. But if Naruto was caught all alone in the rain, then he would get hyperthermia or a cold. Sasuke was not a happy camper when he wanted sex and in result got sick. Sex thoughts aside, he was honestly concerned for the blond. Walking a bit more, he noticed that the light was slowly getting seeped out of the forest around him. The once lovely blue sky was now a gray mess with warm breezes rustling the tree leaves constantly. Pushing his wild black strands out of his face, his eyes widened as he spotted what he had been searching for. Naruto was a few yards in front of him, walking away quickly.

"Naruto!"

Speeding up to catch the blonde, Sasuke leapt over a log and ran over to his blond. Once he got to the spot where he had last seen the smaller man, he blinked in surprise. Naruto was gone. Glancing around, he noticed a few of the nearby plants rustling and moving as something passed by them. Frowning, he followed the disturbed plants and caught glimpses of a bobbing mop of blond hair.

"Dobe, wait up!"

Naruto gritted his teeth and walked faster as he heard the raven following him. He had seen the taller man a while ago and was hoping not to be spotted. Unfortunately, he had and now he was being stalked by the raven. He genuinely wanted to talk to the man and clear things up, but his pride and hurt conscious would not let him. He had no idea what the raven wanted, but he did not want to talk or see the cheating and lying bastard right now.

Dodging into the thick bushes, Naruto took paths that would be hard for the taller man to go through. Using his smaller statue to his advantage, he snuck into a bush and crawled to get past the thick wall it created. He looked back and smirked as he saw Sasuke pause and try to mimic him, but to no avail. Surprised, he observed as the raven now tried to go over. Annoyed by his resilience and stubbornness, Naruto climbed up into the branches of a long nearby tree and waited for the raven.

He winced as he saw several of the bush's branches scratch the pale skin on the raven's back. The scratches lay next to the ones he had made with his nails earlier. Forcing the light blush that had crept up away, he refused to feel any pity for the taller man. The cheating bastard got what he deserved. What was he doing, anyway? Didn't he have Sakura now? Then why was he bothering him?

Sasuke managed to get over the thick bushes with just a bunch of scratches. He flinched as the marks stung with each move he made. Once he was over, he searched for the smaller man. Naruto was not going to get away. Inspecting the surrounding foliage, he watched for the slightest movement that was not the wind.

"What do you want, teme?"

Startled, he glanced up and found the blonde sitting in a nearby tree. The blonde was sitting with his legs hanging over one side, using another branch near his head to keep his balance. Relieved to have finally caught up with him, Sasuke marched over to the tree and looked up. _I don't exactly know what Sakura told him, so I can't start with inquiring about it. I'll have to take a different approach._

"Naruto, where have you been? You've been missing for hours."

"What does it matter?" Naruto asked tonelessly.

"What does it matter? Have you not looked up at the sky at all today? There's a storm coming and we need to get back before it does. Do you want to get caught in it like last time?"

Naruto shrugged and looked away. "I don't care."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Dobe, get down here."

Childishly, Naruto ignored the taller man. Sasuke circled the tree like a lion hunting for its dinner _. What does he want? Why is he here?...Stupid teme. Even though I know he's just using me, I can't help but want to listen to what he says and see if I can make myself believe it. I never pegged myself as masochistic before._ Deciding to cut the shit and get straight to the point, Naruto glared down at the raven.

"You know, Sakura told me what you said."

Sasuke froze and then relaxed. "So this is what this is about." He felt relieved that they were finally getting somewhere. Now it was up to him to figure out what she told the blond. Chances were, it wasn't something nice if Naruto was pissed at him.

"What do you mean, "This is what this is about"?! You fucking bastard, you used me!"

Sasuke blinked in shock. His eyebrows shot up, his face incredulous. _Wait, what?_ "What? How did I use you?"

"Don't lie to me, teme. She told me what you said, and then I saw you guys a while ago."

Getting confused, Sasuke treaded carefully.

"Wait, what did she tell you? Whatever she said, she probably lied to you."

Naruto laughed dryly. "Sure, that's what you'd say, wouldn't you? What do you even want? Isn't Sakura lonely?"

"Why the fuck would I care if she's lonely or not? She can die in a ditch and I wouldn't care."

Frustrated, Sasuke glared up at the angry blond, getting irritated himself. This is going nowhere. Why is he so mad? What could she have possibly told him? How did he use him?

"Then please explain to me why I saw you guys making out? Hmm? Didn't seem like you didn't care then."

"Making out-! Is that what you're all worked up about?"

Naruto's mouth gaped in disbelief. _Is the bastard serious? Does he not see that as cheating? The fuck?_ He silently stared down, waiting for a further explanation.

Sasuke shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Dobe, she kissed me, not the other way around."

Naruto laughed sarcastically. "And I'm supposed to just believe that? You may think I'm stupid, but at least give me some credit. I can see right through your lies."

"I'm not lying." Sasuke hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously. It stung to be so readily mistrusted by someone you cared about.

The blond crossed his arms and stuck out his chin at the raven. "Prove it. How else do I know you're not just using me for a good time, huh? How do I know that you actually care?"

Sasuke was silent as his brain worked furiously to come up with something. He looked away from the blonde and unseeingly stared at the ground. The atmosphere thickened as he was still silent. _I told Sakura that I wouldn't say anything. That being said, I don't really care if I don't uphold a promise. I want to figure out why she planted the bombs and what is she doing now by myself, without Naruto being knowing. If he knows, he'll go off on her and who knows what else she could do. I can't do anything to her since I have no idea what she might be hiding…But if I tell Naruto about who she really is, he'll have to believe me and get the stupid idea that I used him out of his head. Aw fuck it. I'll tell him._

Naruto watched as the taller man said nothing. Scoffing, he shimmied off of the tree branch and carefully landed on the jungle floor. Wincing as his leg cried out in annoyance, he shook his head.

"I knew it. You can't." Turning his back to the raven, Naruto walked away from him sadly; the feeling of betrayal had come back with revenge. It was one thing to see someone you cared for hurt you; it was another thing to actually have that person do nothing to deny it.

Sasuke quickly strode over to the blond and grabbed him by his upper arm. "Dobe, it was Sakura who planted the bombs on the plane. She's the reason we're stuck here."

Naruto twisted his arm out of Sasuke's grip and scowled at him. Feeling ridiculed, he put on a poker face good enough to rival Sasuke's. "Really? This is the best you've got? Change the subject completely and now blame your partner in crime for what happened? That doesn't even explain anything! God, Sasuke, and you call _me_ stupid?"

Sasuke growled and grabbed the smaller man by the shoulders, knocking a hand away that came to push him away. Shoving him up against the tree that he had climbed out of, Sasuke gripped the shoulders tightly and held him in place. He leaned in until his and Naruto's face were mere inches apart. His fathomless orbs bore into azure ones. Naruto's hands shot up and clamped onto Sasuke's wrists, pulling them hard. They didn't budge.

"I'm not making it up! She's hatching some sort of plan to make you hate me. I haven't quite figured out why, but I will."

"Oh please, just stop. You're just making yourself look stupider by the minute. At least man up and admit it. You were just using me, and now you're having fun with Sakura."

Sasuke clenched his teeth and his hands tightened painfully on the tan shoulders. "Naruto." He bit out. His lips pressing in a thin line, he fought the urge to knock some sense into the smaller man. "I am not _using_ you. What the fuck gave you that idea? I told you, Sakura is a manipulative bitch. You can't trust what she's said."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Using the tree for support, he thrust his body hard against Sasuke's. He'd had enough. Sasuke's denying everything and making up lies were just too much.

Getting knocked off balance; Sasuke stumbled back and released the smaller man. Feeling him quickly move to get out of his reach, Sasuke's temper flared. As fast as lightning, he reached over and yanked Naruto to him. Pressing him up against the tree again, Sasuke closed the space between them and shoved his lips onto Naruto's. If he couldn't convince him with words, he'd have to just _show_ him. Forcing his way past the slightly parted in shock lips, he invaded the sweet mouth and ravaged it, tilting the blonde's head to the side to get better access. At once, he felt something huge and blunt slam into his stomach. Doubling over, he gritted his teeth and a blocked the other fist that was aiming for his gut.

Naruto had been trying to escape, but the teme didn't let him. He wanted to distance himself from the bastard and force himself to get rid of his feelings for the man, but Sasuke's stubbornness was too overwhelming. He then felt the raven push him up the tree again, but this time he was kissing him. The whole fucking problem was Sasuke and mouth kissing things. Now he thought he could make it better by getting him in the sack? Oh hell no. Clenching his hand into a fist, Naruto let the raven enjoy his victory for a split second before his fist when slamming into his gut.

Sasuke dodged another fist that was aiming at his face. Grabbing it, he twisted the arm and whirled the blond around. With the blonde's back to him, he pressed up to it, holding the arm tightly in his hand. "I'm not making it up, you have to believe me."

Naruto growled and tried to force his way out of Sasuke's hold. "Fuck off, teme. You had one chance and you fucked it up."

Grunting as an elbow skimmed his rib cage, Sasuke stepped back and got ready to wrestle the smaller man down.

"I haven't done anything!" Sasuke exclaimed, his temper going past flared and into surface of the sun hot. "You just don't-"

A piercing shriek burst in the air. Earsplittingly high pitched, the scream jarred Sasuke and Naruto out of their argument. Looking at one another in surprise, they quickly took off and ran towards the waterfall, where they had last seen Sakura.

**xXx**

Iruka leaned back a bit in his seat to make the silver-haired man more comfortable. After an hour of flying, the taller man had fallen asleep, leaning right onto Iruka. Kakashi broke the rules of the sky police; he hadn't worn a seat belt and he had slid down, his head landing serenely on Iruka's lap, facing upward. Blushing and stuttering, Iruka tried to wake him up, but the man was dead asleep. Resigning to it, Iruka had begun to sift his hands through the silky silver strands. Running his fingers in the soft hair, he smiled warmly as he noticed the man lean into his touch.

The plane had different sections, with each group sitting in a section. He and Kakashi were near the front, in a secluded corner. With everyone busy doing something else and Kakashi pinning him to the chair, Iruka had time to reflect. Here he was, about to go get his adopted son who was stranded somewhere in the Pacific Ocean because some crazy men tried to kill another person on the plane, who just happened to be his new friend's charge. He was surprised that he was taking this all in calmly. It was mainly due to the fact that he had had Kakashi there to soften the blow of everything and immediately give him hope.

He tugged a couple of strands of hair from the pale face and gently traced the scar that bisected a striking red eye. He ran his fingers down the jawline and followed the line to Kakashi's ears. There, he made his way to the eyebrows and down, letting his fingers ghost over the man's lips. The smooth lips parted open slightly at the touch. Feeling an uncontrollable urge to kiss the unconscious man, Iruka held himself in check and tried to will away the deep blush that now painted his face. He went back to raking his fingers in the mass of silver hair, forcibly ignoring Kakashi's tempting mouth.

Itachi silently watch the brunette from another corner of the plane. He had purposely isolated himself in the corner and was forcing himself to keep calm, cool, and collected. He was itching to go rescue his brother and to retaliate on the motherfuckers who dared harm his family. His blood thirst was rising, causing him to become slightly irritated at every small thing. Knowing that anger clouded his judgment and thought, he sought to isolate himself to calm down. As he tried to think of random things to look at to occupy his mind, his eyes fell upon Iruka and Kakashi. Although he still didn't trust the brunette, he was happy for his brother's caretaker. The man was always alone, despite his perverted behavior and extremely good looks. Itachi had never seen him honestly go for anyone; seeing him working hard to please one person he just met was surprising. Despite his initial dislike that still sort of hovered around, he was becoming accustomed to the scarred nose man and was pleased that Kakashi was no longer by himself. Kakashi was sort of family; family meant that they had to watch out for one another. If the brunette dared to break Kakashi's hidden heart, Itachi would make sure there was hell to pay. Seeing them in the corner together and how Iruka blatantly but unknowingly placed his emotions on his face, helped dispel his adversity towards the smaller man. Smirking slightly, he closed his eyes and waited for landing.

Back in the cockpit, Choji nervously eyed at the clouds. Shaking his head from side to side slowly, he sighed. "This doesn't look good."

Ino glanced up from the magazine she was reading. Although she was co-pilot and therefore was supposed to keep an eye on things, she knew that Choji could fly the plane with his eyes closed and used that to justify her laziness. Cocking her head to the side, she nudged the man.

"What do you mean? What doesn't look good?"

Choji grimaced and nodded towards the large window in front of them. "A bad storm is going to hit. It's going to be extremely difficult trying to fly in a storm. Even more so if it's a thunderstorm. The air will be charged with electricity and it will disrupt the radars on the plane. If Sasuke and Naruto are found, how are we going to get home if the plane doesn't work?"

Ino chewed on her lower lip. "What should we do? Should we tell Itachi?"

"And risk getting murdered for insubordination? No thank you. I'll take faulty plane controls over and angry Itachi any day." He said, nervously chuckling. Shaking his head, he went back to gazing out of the glass from his seat. Adjusting his headset, he bit his lip. It was going to be a fun fieldtrip.

Shikamaru sipped his soda as he typed on his laptop. Setting it down on the small table his laptop was on, he rubbed his left eye and he yawned. He was tired from getting up so early. Temari had threatened him over phone and had kept him up when he wanted to go back to sleep. The keys created a light tapping noise and his fingers flew over the keyboard. He tapped out a steady, soothing rhythm. His eyes nonchalantly skimmed the information he was looking at. Stopping on something new, his eyebrows shot up. _That was not there before. But then how is it on now? What happened?"_ Sitting up straighter, he typed faster, bringing up the new information to full screen.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, he got to his feet and strolled over to Itachi's corner, laptop in his hands. Instead of explaining what he was doing, he simply placed he laptop down in front of the irate man and let him figure it out. On the screen, there was a green topographical map of the world. On said green map, there was a little red blinking dot with coordinates floating off to the side. That dot had not been there when the first "scan for Sasuke" was done. It had been recently reactivated.

Itachi grabbed the laptop. Bringing up another map on the screen, he placed them side by side. The two maps were almost identical. Except for one having a red dot and the other showing a small black dot further away from the red dot, they both focused on the same area. Shikamaru pointed at the red dot and a small box of text that popped up.

"I believe we just found Sasuke."

Itachi traced the path of the black dot, trying to determine the quickest way to get to the red dot. "How was this not seen earlier?" He asked, his voice devoid of emtions.

"It wasn't there before. I've been doing periodic checks on this and it activated again a while ago. On the bright side, we now know exactly where Sasuke is and how to get to him."

His eyes intently focusing on the map, Itachi nodded. "Give these coordinates to Choji and tell the others that they will all be searching on land. I must make a phone call."

Not giving Shikamaru a chance to respond, Itachi stood up fluidly and strode over to the back of the plane, bypassing the bathroom and going into a small private alcove that was secluded from the rest of the cabin.

"How troublesome. Why do I have to be the one to do all the work around here?"

Sighing, Shikamaru set the laptop down and headed to the cockpit. Having memorized the coordination, he relayed them to an excited Choji and anxious Ino. Choji adjusted the plane's navigations system to head towards the coordinates. The plane now heading in the correct direction, Shikamaru decided to stay in the cockpit and shoot the breeze with the other two. Temari had fallen asleep in the seat next to him and he didn't want to be the unfortunate one waking her up.

Gazing out of the nearby window, Iruka kept up his petting on Kakashi's head. Uneasy, he eyed the dark clouds and chewed on his lips as his uneasiness grew. Something was telling him that things weren't going to go as smooth as he'd hoped. The ocean was a deep blue, contrasting with the gray sky. Small islands littered the sea, creating small patches of yellow in the azure. Yawning, he closed his eyes and leaned back, settling in comfortably. He might as well sleep since he couldn't do much with Kakashi's head in his lap.

**xXx**

Choji was almost bouncing up and down in his seat. They were almost there! Excited to reach their destination, it had been a while since he had gone to a tropical island and Voila!, he gets a free trip! Granted, it probably was a dangerous place with plenty of wild life that could kill you, but hey, it was a free trip!

Thankfully, it wasn't raining yet. The gray clouds in the air had yet to burst and release their rain. That didn't stop it from rumbling once in a while.

They drew in closer and closer to the island. Ino had finally put down her magazine and had stopped putting makeup on. Strapping into the chair, she inspected the controls and everything to make sure it still functioned properly. Satisfied with the results, she turned her attention to the islands that were coming in closer and closer. Suddenly, she squinted at something and leaned in closer.

"Hey Choji. Do you see that?"

She pointed towards the islands. There, almost hidden in the gray clouds, was a black mass. IT was an odd shape.

Choji cocked his head and shook it. "No, what are you looking at?"

"There! By that big cloud that looks like cotton candy. It's something black."

Choji rolled his eyes, but continued to search for what she was talking about. Still not finding it, he looked harder, focusing on anything dark. Spying it, he pulled his head back in surprise and turned to the blond.

"Ino, bring up the feed on a screen and zoom in on it."

Doing as she was told, Ino set up the image on a nearby computer screen. She zoomed in on the dark mass, adjusted for colors, and increased the resolution. The black figure slowly went from a blob of darkness to a clearly defined shape. It was another plane. More importantly, it was Orochimaru's plane. Only the snake weirdo would have a snake like design on his airplane. Shocked, Ino and Choji looked at each other. She reached over and tugged out the speaker for the intercom system. Licking her lips, she flicked it on and spoke into it.

"Guys, I believe we have a problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy almost New Years :)


	21. Shit Got Real, and Then Some

Kabuto used a machete to hack away at the thick leaves blocking his path as he hurriedly made his way over to where Sakura was. Thankful to be rid of the annoying henchmen, Orochimaru had forced him to bring along. He grunted as he brought the blade down heavily and shredded an innocent bush. He wiped his sweat soaked brow with the back of his pale hand and pushed on.

Having landed a while ago and hacking at random vegetation for what seemed to be hours, he checked his watch for the time. 2:15. Glancing up through the canopy of green and into the small patches of sky still visible, he compared the time with the color of the sky. The time of day did not coincide with the how dark it was. It may have been the fact that a tropical storm was brewing and had stripped the light from the world above. Maybe.

Stopping to take a couple of breaths, he leaned down to support himself on his knees. His arms ached from all the strenuous hacking he was doing. The quiet of the jungle was nice. Small animals could be heard scampering around and a nice breeze periodically swept by and brought his sweaty body instant relief. Gazing at the ground, he looked at the small jungle insects that made their homes on the ground with mild curiosity. Ants scuttled over rocks and twigs, while spiders fed on their dead friends. He had even spotted a lizard slowly slithering around on a fallen branch and into a pile of mottled dead leaves.

As his oxygen levels replenished, he glimpsed at the small device in his hand as he waited. It was a small yellow rectangular box with a dark screen on it. It was roughly the same size as a cellphone and weighed almost nothing. It currently displayed his latitude and longitude coordinates in bright orange on a grid with a dot representing him. Close to his position was another dot. Sakura. He was close, so close. Orochimaru would be so happy with him for retrieving the Uchiha boy back so soon. Smiling, he pushed his glasses back on his nose and flexed his hands. He got a better grip on the slick handle of the blade and wielded it like a baseball bat. Decimating a couple of ferns, he yanked them out of his way and carried on deeper into the maze.

**xXx**

Iruka frowned as he glanced up toward the small box mounted on the ceiling that was intercom speaker on the plane. _What’s happening? What could be the problem?_ Looking over to Itachi, he was startled at a how fast Itachi got up from his seat he watched curiously as the intimidating man strode into the cockpit.  Yawning, he covered his mouth and peered down at the still sleeping Kakashi. He hadn’t noticed before, but the silver haired man had shadows under his eyes. Looking more closely, he saw that the taller man actually looked exhausted. _Why does he look so tired? Hasn’t he been sleeping right?_ It wasn’t healthy to skip sleep and Iruka intended to let the man know once he had properly woken up. He didn’t want Kakashi to suffering from sleep deprivation. Blushing lightly as he analyzed his own feelings toward the sleeping man, he resumed his petting, this time focusing on how Kakashi’s hair seemed to defy gravity. It could go in interesting directions.

Itachi slid the cockpit door open and stepped inside. Closing it behind him, he regarded his employees as he stepped forward.

“What might be this “problem” you speak of?”

He asked light conversational tone, completely belying his true emotions. The plane was literally right on top of the island where Sasuke was. Why the hell were they not landing?

Choji pointed at the image of the plane with his index finger. “He’s here. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but Orochimaru is here.”

Itachi froze and his eyes widened, imperceptivity. His eyes locked in on the image and narrowed into dangerous slits. He had already thought he had lost his brother once; he’d be damned if he was going to go through it again. That fucking snake freak was not laying a hand on Sasuke. Over his-and-everyone-else’s-dead body.

“Land. Get ready to drop us off and do a scan of the entire island. Anyone who is seen not under my orders, get rid of them.”

 He strode out of the cockpit and headed back to his seat. Brutally opening the overhead luggage compartment above his seat, he brought out a black case. Opening it up, he produced two custom-made automatic handguns. He snapped in the silver magazines and tucked one gun behind his back and into his waistband. All eyes were on him as he loaded his guns. The atmosphere had thickened and a sense of uneasiness filled the air as a dark aura of danger radiated off of him. Turning to face his subordinates, his black gaze bore into them.

“You are all on land searching teams now. We will all get off and immediately begin to search. Orochimaru is here and he more than likely has brought help. Protect yourself or don’t; I don’t care. I will say this once. Sasuke comes back untouched, or there will be severe consequences to pay. Umino, wake Kakashi up. As soon as we land in a few minutes, we move out.”

Not bothering to sit down, he began to rifle through compartments on other sides of the planes. Instantly, everyone stood up and obediently began to prepare. Belts were tightened and straps were secured. A family size chip bag was polished off. Guns were loaded and ready for action. The metallic clicks of guns being cocked sounded deafening in the silence. No one said anything. To speak was to break the impressive sense of excitement that was coursing and infecting everyone. It was exhilarating, yet terrifying. Knuckles were cracked and drinks were chugged down. This was it.

Getting a bad feeling, Iruka shook Kakashi awake. “Kakashi, get up!”

“….five more minutes?” Came the sleepy response.

Iruka bit his bottom lip as the memory of “five minutes” came flooding back. His neck began to tingle as the memory of lips marking the delicate skin of his neck returned in vivid detail. Knowing it was not the appropriate time or appropriate place, Iruka shoved the memories away and shook the man more, this time a bit more forceful. The pale man’s chest rose and deflated as he let out a deep sigh. The mismatched eyes cracked open and blinked groggily. Rubbing his face, Kakashi sat up and stretched. He back muscles popped as he unbuckled his belt and stood up.

“Looks like I’ll have to get my five minutes later.”

Iruka stood too and began to mimic the others. “Later, sure. Let me give you a rain check on them.” He remarked sarcastically. The fate of his charge was in trouble and all the man wanted to do was sleep. Rolling his eyes in disbelief, Iruka let his hair fall down from its ponytail. Biting the hair band, he slipped his hands into his hair and began to make a new, tighter ponytail.

Kakashi smirked evilly. Eyeing his chocolate drop from his peripherals, he cracked his knuckles. _Rain check, huh? I’m definitely taking him up on that later_. He was done with waiting. Days with this man in his arms, in his house and in his bed. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He forcibly had to keep himself in check during the nights and would be the victim of an aching hard on more than once. The brunette would be sleeping peacefully against him and all he could think of was how fucking amazing it would feel to sink deep into that tan body and to hear the delicious sounds of pleasure escaping from the smaller man. He could already imagine how tight it would be going in, how scorching hot it would feel to be surrounded by that delectable heat. He knew Iruka was inexperienced; it was written on his face as clearly as his emotions were. Once he was done with him, he would be experienced and much, _much_ more. Frowning, Kakashi stretched out his right arm; he flexed the stiff limb. Unfortunately, right now his job was to get the brat back and deal out some revenge. Sex would have to be put on a back burner for now.

Zipping up the slim jacket he wore, Kakashi pulled up the sleeves and exposed his forearms. Tugging on a pair of navy gloves with the fingers exposed, he grabbed his piece and expertly shoved in a magazine. Beside him, Iruka ran his fingers over the automatic pistol in his hands that Kakashi had returned to him. He had used a gun before, but never on another human being. Although he didn’t know how he would react in the heat of the moment, he did know that if there were people willing to harm either him or Naruto, or even Kakashi, he wouldn’t hesitate in showing them exactly what he was capable of. He too pulled on some gloves and began to adjust his ear piece to the proper frequency. Suddenly, the plane lurched down and smoothly landed on a stretch of semi-clear land. It would have to suffice. As soon as the wheels touched the bumpy ground, everyone immediately stood by the hatch door and waited to begin. Choji gave the okay over the speaker phone and Kiba shoved open the door. It was go time.

Kiba, Kankuro, and Hinata dropped out and instantly disappeared into the jungle as soon as they set foot outside of the plane. Already equipped with a tracking device set to Sasuke’s signal, they began to search along the right of the island, taking to the areas with more jungle growth and trees. Shikamaru, Temari, and Gaara took off into the left of the island. It contained the rockier areas with less green. Lee, Ten Ten, and Neji began to head to the shore and to do a perimeter search around the island.

Iruka watched as they all left and prepared to do the same. Adrenaline was rushing in his veins and he was ready to rock and roll. He was about to see Naruto again! Feeling inappropriately giddy, he clenched and unclenched his hands while Kakashi was standing next to him and was radiating waves of eagerness. It was their job to cover the central part of the island. Looking around for Itachi, Iruka noticed that he and Kakashi were all alone. Even the plane had taken back to the skies.

“Kakashi, where is Itachi? Shouldn’t he be here with us?” Iruka twisted around and looked for the scary man. Not spotting him anywhere, he turned to his silver-haired companion.

Kakashi shook his head. Looking around the jungle, he picked an entry point. “Itachi likes to order people around, but when he wants something done quickly and correctly, he does it himself. I imagine that he’s gone off to find Sasuke and to pay Orochimaru a little visit. Nevertheless, we still have to search. Come on!”

The taller man ran off into the jungle with Iruka right behind him. Iruka kept up with his harsh pace easily. Blood pounding ferociously in his ears, Iruka found himself more and more eager to see his son again. Guided by the tracking device Kakashi was using, it was only a matter of time before he would get to hug and tousle the mop of blond spiky hair he loved.

**xXx**

Unable to find a good place to land, Kabuto kept the plane hovering steadily as its former occupants got down the rope ladder dangling down. One by one, Tayuya, Jirobo, Sakon, Ukon, and Kidomaru stepped down the ladder and onto solid ground. Touching his headset, Kabuto spoke to all of them while pilling the yoke up to raise the plane higher.

“I’m going to try and find somewhere to land. Go ahead and start searching. Remember, thirty minute intervals.”

“Yea, yea, we know.”

Kidomaru responded. He grimaced while looking around him. Not one that enjoys nature, he wished he was still playing his video game. He had the highest score so far and was planning on beating it on the way back. _We better hurry this up, I have shit to do._

The ladder automatically slithering back up, Kabuto rose higher and went north. The island had a small strip of clear land up there that he could work with.

Sakon and Ukon tugged their tracking device between them. Both wanting to be team leader, they argued with each other heatedly. Glaring at each other, they created mirror images of themselves.

“I’m the smarter one, I should get to lead.”

Ukon yanked the device away and jumped into the jungle bushes, not waiting for his brother to catch up.

“I’m older, I get it!”

“Hey, it’s mine, you asshole!”

Tearing in after him, Sakon left Jirobo, Tayuya, and Kidomaru behind. Eager to get going and shoot something, Tayuya ran in after them, whooping and leaping onto the fallen trees that littered the floor.

“Fuck yea! See who finds him first, motherfuckers!”

Kidomaru rolled his eyes and slid the device into this pocket. He crossed his arms behind his head and lazily kicked a rock that was near his foot. It rolled away from him, making small tapping sounds.

“They’re making way too much noise. Sasuke is bound to hear them and end up going away from them.”

Jirobo looked down at his own box and shrugged. “Do you want to head off together?” He didn’t mind working by himself, but it was always polite to ask.

Kidomaru shrugged. “Nah. I’m going away from the loudmouths and searching in the quieter areas. That way, when Sasuke is hiding from them, I’ll find him. I’m going to win this game.” He said with a smirk. He then turned around and headed away from where the others had entered.

Jirobo looked around him in dismay, a scowl on his face. The trees and shrubs were all packed tightly together, making only narrow passages in which to travel through. It would be difficult for him to search and maneuver in there. Snorting, he followed the sound of the ocean and soon reached the shoreline. It would be best to stay out in the open, where he could work better.

Following the shore, he found a sort of rocky area. It had a small cliff surrounded by rocks and earth. It gently sloped up with rocks acting as ledges. Grinning, Jirobo climbed onto the rocky slope leading up to the cliff. From there he had an excellent vantage point. He could see anyone coming by, all without having to move. Plopping down on a particularly big boulder he took out a packet of cookies he managed to sneak on him. Munching on them, he waited.

**xXx**

Tayuya stopped her stumbling jog and leaned against a tree, huffing. She had managed to keep up with Sakon and Ukon for a good while until her body burned with exhaustion and begged to stop. Leaning her back on the harsh bark, she wiped the sweat and hair from her forehead and shivered as the wind began to pick up and cool her hot skin. Goosebumps broke out on her forearms and she tried to rub them away.

“…Fuck….they’re fast….”she grunted. Pushing herself off of the tree, she began to walk for a bit, waiting for her leg muscles to stop their deep aching. Itching for a smoke, she jammed her hands in her pockets and took out a lighter. Out of a vest pocket, she drew a packet of cigarettes that were slightly crumpled and torn. Tapping one out, she stopped moving and shoved the cancer stick into her mouth. Bringing the lighter up and putting the packet back, she flicked it on and cupped her hand around it to shield it from the wind that was picking up speed. Cursing as the small flame gave out, she glared at the lighter.

“Fucking shit, it’s out of lighter fluid. Goddamn it. I knew I should have bought a new one.” Sighing, she threw the lighter down hard and watched with satisfaction as it exploded into pieces upon impact with a rock. _Maybe one of the guys have one I could bum for a while…_

Tapping her ear piece, she set the frequency to Kidomaru’s channel.

“Hey, Kidomaru. Ya got a lighter I could borrow? Mine’s out.”

An irritating crackling sound was heard until Kidomaru responded. “No, I don’t smoke. Besides, even if I had one, why would I give you mine?”

“Well fuck you then. I didn’t need it anyway.” Cursing the skinny freak and his annoying laughter, she changed the channel over to Jirobo’s, but only heard static. “Fucking fatass, where the hell are you?” She grumbled as no reply came. Finally finding Sakon’s frequency, she jumped up in excitement as he anwered.

“What?”

“Sakon, you got a lighter? I need one.” Feeling the craving for the nicotine, she licked her licks anxiously. She rolled the cigarette around on her fingers as she waited.

“No, I don’t. I think Ukon has one, though. Let me ask him.”

Faintly, she heard as he called out to his brother and asked him. Ukon replied, but she couldn’t make out what he had said. Flicking a small bug off her leg, she grimaced. She had smushed it and now had bug guts smeared on her lug.

“Yea, he has one. Where are you?”

“Fuck yes! Hold on, I have no fucking idea where the hell I am.”

Whipping out the device, she manipulated the screen and located herself and the twins. They weren’t too far away, but it would take a couple of minutes to get there. Even longer if they kept moving.

“I found you guys! Stay there and don’t fucking mov……hold on…”

Trailing off, her eyes narrowed and stared hard at the little screen. She liked to keep the settings on infrared and was now seeing more yellow human figures closer to her than her teammates were. _What the fuck?_ A rustling noise sounded around her and her eyes widened. On the screen, the three figures were closing in on her. Sakon spoke up in her ear and asked what had _happened_ , but she kept quiet. Slipping her hand down to her hip, she pulled her weapon out of its holster and thumbed off the safety. She silently crept over to some thick bushes and crouched down behind them, waiting.

Suddenly, three pairs of shoes burst out of the undergrowth and stepped into the small area where she had been moments ago. Gazing through the leaves of her bush, she saw a two men and a woman, all armed. _Who the fuck are these guys? Where did they come from?_

A tall spiky brown haired man was looking around the area in confusion. He had two red triangles tattoos on his face, one under each eye. All of the strangers were dressed similarly and the other two were staring at the tattooed man.

“I could have sworn I….”

A taller dark haired man stepped up next to him and looked around curiously. Apparently not finding anything, he turned to his partner. “Kiba? What was it?”

The man named Kiba rubbed his nose and pressed his lips together tightly. Scratching the back of his head quickly, he shook his head from side to side. “I smelled something strange. I’ve lost it now, but I’m positive it came from here.”

The girl stepped up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder timidly. “What did it smell like?”

Kiba shrugged and sniffed the air, trying to regain the strange scent that was eluding him. “Like some sort of gas. That’s the closest description I can come to.”

Tayuya watched, stunned. _No way! How would he have been able to smell the lighter fluid if the bottle was almost empty? It wouldn’t have smelled that much._

“Gas?” The other man sniffed the air, trying to see if he could smell the same thing, but couldn’t detect anything out of the ordinary. “I don’t smell anything. Anyway, we have to keep going.”

Sighing, Kiba was dismayed that he couldn’t find the source. It was still present, but it didn’t come from any one specific spot, it just sort of hovered in the air. Cursing his own overly sensitive nose, he nodded and sniffed once more, just to make sure he couldn’t find it. No luck.

“Now, we’ve been heading south for some time now, so we should go more towards the east.” The tallest of them all pointed in the eastern direction. “I’m sure we’re bound to run into the others soon.”

The dark haired girl with pale eyes shyly nodded and followed close behind as the duo took the lead. After few minutes more of waiting, Tayuya stepped out from the bushes and stared at the direction of the jungle in which the people had gone through. She reached up and fidgeted with her ear piece.

“Sakon.”

“What happened? Why did you go silent?”

“I almost ran into some people.”

“People? What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t Kabuto or Jirobo, or even Kidomaru. They’re complete strangers and they each had guns.” Getting a strange giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach, she smiled. “I have a feeling some crazy shit is about to happen. Check your locator and set the settings to infrared and tell me what you see.”

Sakon obediently did so and spotted what she had earlier. Heat signatures from strangers unmarked on the device.

“Hmm, interesting. What should we do?”

Tayuya shrugged, not knowing that Sakon couldn’t see her. “Hold on, Imma get Kabuto.”

Changing the dial, she searched for the wierdo’s channel and proceeded to try and communicate with him. After several useless attempts, an earful of static, and almost screaming into the earpiece, she settled for loud whispers and just one more try. Still waiting for him to respond, she glanced back once more to where the people had exited. Hopefully, it was time to have some fun.

**xXx**

Sasuke and Naruto burst through the thick plants surrounding the clearing. Sakura’s scream had been full of terror and horror, urging them to hurry. Shoving their argument to the side, both of them ran at full speed to see what the matter was. Almost racing each other, they were neck in neck as they entered. Stumbling and almost falling on top of each another, Sasuke and Naruto managed to stay on their feet. Breathing hard and pumped full of adrenaline, they both looked around for any signs of danger. Sakura simply stood near the waterfall, her ankles in the water.

Confused, Naruto cocked his head and regarded the pink haired female. She appeared perfectly okay and in no mortal danger. So why had she screamed? What happened?

“Oi, Sakura, what’s wrong? Why did you scream?”

Sasuke inspected the clearing carefully. There weren’t any signs of a dangerous animal or trouble. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and slid over to look at her. What was she up to now?

“Ah, Sasuke. You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”

He knew that voice. He detested that voice. It belonged to Kabuto; the Orochimaru-obsessed freak that was always trying outdo the Uchiha empire but could never step up to Itachi’s level. His mouth scowling in disgust, he hid his surprise at hearing the white-haired man here, of all places, expertly. Preparing a scathing smartass comment, he was stopped as something lightly touched his head. Feeling the cool metal of a gun press against the back of his skull, Sasuke froze. Stunned, fear had his stomach plummeting to his feet and his heart picking up speed. _Wait what is going on?! Why does Kabuto have a gu……._ Something clicked in his head and his anger over road his fear. Kabuto was part of it. He was probably partnered with Sakura, seeing as she wasn’t surprised to see him here. Going from scared shitless to furious in nanoseconds, Sasuke’s eyebrow began to twitch and a vein near his temple popped out. These were the motherfuckers that had nearly killed him and Naruto. These were the goddamn bastards that tried to take him out. Any normal person would be terrified to be held at gunpoint, but not Sasuke Uchiha. He was _fucking pissed_.

Turning around slowly, Sasuke faced Kabuto. The gun was now planted against his forehead, pressing hard enough to leave a small indention on his skin. He put on the deadliest and most intimidating stare he had in his arsenal. His eyes were narrowed into angry slits with his obsidian irises appearing strangely red. His upper lip curled in distaste.

“Kabuto”.

He spat the name out viciously, putting as much disgust and hatred into it as he could. The new visitor smiled and pushed up his glasses. Keeping the gun right where it was, Kabuto cocked his head and smirked.

“My, I’m surprised you know who I am, Uchiha. I would have thought you had your head so far up your own ass, that you weren’t aware of rivals to your family’s company.”

“I always know where I leave the trash.”

Sasuke retorted. He had to try to keep the piece of shit talking. The longer they talked, the more time he had to figure out a way to turn the tables around. He was going to need all the time he could possibly get.

Naruto hadn’t noticed the intruder until it was too late and the man had a gun on Sasuke. Stunned, he watched as the two insulted each other and how Sasuke was trying to murder the other with his looks of death. Feeling worried for the raven and confused at how angry he was instead of scared, Naruto fidgeted and glared at the stranger.

“Wait, what the fuck is going on?! Who the hell are you man, and what do you want?!”

Sakura let out a bark of laughter. Naruto’s head whipped around and looked at her. Brushing her hair out of her face with a flick of her wrist, she smiled at him. Giggling annoyingly, she wandered closer to the three men. Holding out a hand, she caught the spare gun Kabuto had brought for her and trained it on the blond.

“You still haven’t figured it out, Naruto? I would have figured Sasuke would have told you.”

Feeling cold sweat drip down his back, Naruto nervously eyed the weapon pointed at him. Swallowing heavily, he raised his hands to mid-chest reflexively, palms outward. Hearing the blood pound in his ears, he took a small step back.

“Figured what out?! Seriously, what the fuck is going on, Sakura?”

“I told you dobe. She and this miserable motherfucker were the ones that put the explosives on my plane. They’re probably here to finish the job for their sick snake freak overlord.” Sasuke drawled, feeling satisfaction at watching Kabuto’s face darken as he insulted his precious boss.

“Hold up, you were fucking serious?! You mean you didn’t just tell me to get on my good side?”

Sasuke broke his intense staring competition with Kabuto and turned to look at something more favorable. Twisting around to peer at Naruto, he regarded the blond with his fathomless orbs. Naruto was surprised to see the hard as diamond gaze soften slightly as it landed on him.

“I wouldn’t lie so easily to you.”

Rolling her eyes, Sakura drew everyone’s attention to her as she pulled back the hammer on her gun and it clicked loudly. She leaned to the side and jutted her hip out. Lazily keeping the gun on Naruto, she glanced over at Kabuto.

“Kabuto, what is the plan?”

“We’ve caught Sasuke and now we must take him back to the plane. Currently, Tayuya and the others are searching the rest of the island. I’ll call them together once we’ve gotten back.”

Sakura grimaced and set her mouth in a scowl. “Tayuya? Why bring that bitch?” Her tone turned condescending.

Kabuto smiled, pushing his glasses higher on his nose. “Simply because she was almost chosen to over you to plant the explosives, doesn’t mean you should be jealous.”

Sakura scowled harder and glared at her partner. “I’m not jealous. I got picked, I won. Like I said, not jealous.”

Kabuto laughed and shook his head. It’s not like he really cared about either of them. Peering down at his watch, he gazed at it for a few seconds then shoved his sleeve back over it.

“Well now, we just-”

A piercing whining noise erupted out of nowhere. Wincing, Kabuto tugged the screeching earpiece out of his ear and tried to hear over the ringing now deafening his ear.

“-ABUTO!” A voice came through, barely comprehendible over the static inundating it. It came out as a screamed whisper.

It was Tayuya. Frowning, Kabuto adjusted the volume and held the earpiece closer to his ear, but didn’t put it back in.

“What?” He asked irritably.

“Well now you fucking answer, you prick. We have guests. I’ve seen several of ‘em wandering around already. They’ve got a fucking tracker and are looking for somethin’. I’m guessing they’re here for pretty boy.”

Shocked, Kabuto blinked. His eyebrows furrowing in disbelief, he slid the earpiece in, effectively silencing her to all but him.

“What are you talking about? Nobody is out here but us.”

“Hell if I know. I’ve seen ….maybe four? All armed and searching. Sakon says he’s seen them too and was almost spotted, but managed to hide. What do we do?”

Deciding on the spot, Kabuto motioned to Sakura that it was time to go. “Kill them. They shouldn’t be here. And as soon as you’re done, get back to the plane immediately. Tell the others that we’re taking off ASAP.”

Sakura walked over to Naruto and pointed the weapon at his chest. Nodding at Kabuto, she shoved the blond and indicated what she wanted him to do. She had to get him into the jungle and shoot him there. It would be a clean shot and his body would be easier to hide. Naruto stood paralyzed, still trying to piece together what was happening.

Kabuto shut off the irritating device before twisting around to Sasuke and grinning at him. “Well Sasuke, it’s time for you to prove your worth for Orochimaru. Shall we get going?”

Sasuke stood his ground and didn’t budge. Looking at his rival dead in the eyes, Sasuke scoffed. “I’m not going anywhere with you or that fucking freak. Fuck you.”

Kabuto’s face darkened and he stepped forward. As fast as lightning, he brought his hand up and smashed the butt of the gun across Sasuke’s face hard.

Sasuke was caught off-guard, but managed to duck out of the way slightly, catching half of what would have hit him. Then strike cut open his cheek and grazed the bridge of his nose. Blood leaked out and began to drip down his face. Hissing silently in pain, he forced down his fight or flight response and tried to regain control on his boiling temper. You can’t bring fists to a gun fight. There’s no way this is ending easy for him. Not bothering to touch his face and feel the extent of the damage, he refused to show any signs of weakness. _But, fuck did it sting._

Naruto flinched as he saw Sasuke get struck. Wanting to go shove his fist into Kabuto’s face, he knew he shouldn’t move. He was still in Sakura’s crosshairs.

“Oh fuck, Sasuke! You alright?”

“Don’t you _dare_ speak about Orochimaru like that. Now,” Kabuto brought his gun back up and pointed it along with Sakura’s. Both were now trained on the blond. “Either you come peacefully, or we get to paint the floor a beautiful shade of red. What will it be, Sasuke?”

Naruto groaned internally. Shit was always going bad for him, nothing went right! “Dude, this isn’t right!” He yelped.

Sakura shoved him hard and he stumbled, nearly falling. “Shut up, this doesn’t concern you.”

Turning to the side and spitting out blood that had made its way into his mouth without taking his eyes off Kabuto, Sasuke cursed. Using Naruto as blackmail was bad. He wasn’t about to let the blond get shot, not after all that’s happened and all they’ve been through. Straightening up, he gave off the impression that he was only going along because he wanted to.

Kabuto gave as shit-eating grin and nodded his head once. “Play nice and no one gets hurt. Now, shall we?”

Kabuto brought out the little yellow box and looked for the plane’s signal on the screen. Spying the dot towards the south, he set the destination and slid the box into his pants. He walked ahead a few feet and then turned back, waiting for Sasuke to move in front of him. Stiffly, with blood slowly leaking from the wounds on his face, Sasuke strode forward.

A deep rumbling sound shook the earth around them. The trees began a restless dance and the leaves began to whisper amongst themselves. Very gently, rain began to patter down and soak everything. Sasuke glanced up and watched as the gray clouds spilled what they held. Rain peppered his face and ran into the blood, creating pale red rivulets to cascade down his face and onto his chest. Wincing as it stung, he turned to his blond.

Naruto watched as Sasuke turned to leave him. Fear accumulated in his chest and kept him from calling out the raven. He didn’t want Sasuke to leave him behind to be stuck with Sakura. His mouth opened but no sounds came out. As rain patted his head, he gazed around and saw that the jungle around them was acquiring a sort of mist. It was becoming harder to see as the fog crept in and created a hazy atmosphere. Calls of tropical birds resounded around them as the creatures called out to one another. Turning back to Sasuke, he was startled to see the raven was looking at him. Sasuke mouthed something, but Naruto couldn’t understand. _What is he trying to tell me?_ What? He mouthed back.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and this time pointed at his wrist, mimicking looking at time. _Wait here, I’ll be back soon._ Once they were far enough away from Sakura, he was planning on overpowering Kabuto and coming back. That is, if everything went according to plan. Once again, Naruto mouthed “what” and gave him a confused look. Giving up, Sasuke turned and marched on, followed closely by Kabuto.

**xXx**

He could see them. Two of them.

Kakashi plastered himself against a tree and peeked over the edge as he followed the two men that were wandering around. Gun held close to his chest, he watched. They appeared to be twins; both were wearing similar fatigues and were arguing amongst themselves. Kakashi bid his time, making he was securely behind the tree and hidden. If he were to go in now and shoot one of them, the other would end up shooting him, and vice versa. He had to wait until they were far enough from each other that he could easily step in and dispose of them. _Fuck, this would be easier if there were two of me…I can’t-.Iruka! He can cover me while I go in._

Mentally planning out how to work the strategy, Kakashi turned around and paused. “Iruka?” He whispered. Gorgeous green trees and thick shrubs shuddered as rain pounded on their leaves. Glancing around, the brunette was nowhere to be found amidst the stormy area.

“…Iruka?”

Still no response. Cursing mentally, he whipped his head around, trying to find some evidence of the smaller man, but to no avail. He was alone….which meant that Iruka was alone. With people armed with guns wandering around. Knowing he should give the man some credit, seeing as Iruka hadn’t seemed clueless when loading the gun like rookies do, he couldn’t help but feel the urge to protect him.

Crouching down, he slid behind some ferns for extra coverage. Tapping his earpiece, he set it to the frequency used for team communication.

“Iruka, can you hear me? Are you there?”

Upon hearing no answer, alarm bells began to ring loudly in his head. Knowing to trust his instincts, he twisted around and had his gun up, ready to shoot. Finding nothing suspicious in the rustling trees around him, he knew that looks were deceiving. Cautiously keeping the weapon out, he eyed his surroundings and carefully stood up. Feeling inexplicably exposed he rubbed the back of his neck. Something was off and it was bothering him not knowing what.

Going back to his look out position, he looked over to where the twins were. His mismatched eyes narrowing, he found no one. Both of them were gone. _Where the fuck is everyone?_ The rain began to fall heavier, shortening his field of vision. Lamenting the loss of visibility from far away, he had to rely on his other senses to keep himself alive. Knowing it was a risky move, he closed his eyes and put his hearing to work. At first, all he could hear was the constant beating of the rain on the foliage around him and the cries of the jungle animals that lived nearby. Bit by bit, it all began to fade away until he could identify which sounds were common and which ones were out of place.

A faint crunching sound caught his attention. His ears twitching slightly like a dog’s he strained them to hear more clearly. The noise seemed to draw closer. His built in warning system going off again in full force, he opened his eyes and prepared to fight.

Stepping in to the tiny clearing he had been hiding in, were Sakon and Ukon. Both were well-armed and

had their weapons trained on the silver-haired man, effectively trapping him like a fly behind a clean window.

“See, I told you we were being followed. This tracker has a built in heat seeking system. You didn’t stand a chance, you piece of trash.” Sakon turned to his brother and grinned. “What was it Kabuto said? Kill anyone that wasn’t Sasuke?”

Ukon turned to him and nodded. “He did.” Turning to face Kakashi, he cocked his head and smirked, bringing up his gun.

“Sakon, how many times can a person get shot before they die?”

Sakon pretended to contemplate this, hoping to prolong their play time. If Ukon was involved, it was bound to be over fast; the man didn’t like wasting time.

“I don’t know.”

“Well then, let’s find out.”

**xXx**

Kabuto smiled a sick, twisted grin as he goaded the raven, knowing he couldn’t do anything about it. He held Sasuke’s life in the palm of his hands and it was perfect; he was in control, he made the rules now.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and flexed his sore arms. His hands had been fisted for the longest time and were painfully raw. His temper demanded he turn around and give Kabuto what he deserved, but his brain urged him not to. To do so was to ask for trouble. Orochimaru wanted him, so he wouldn’t be killed, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be injured. His cheek and nose where just an ache now, occasionally crying out when rain ran over them or when he frowned heavily. His upper back had small bruises where Kabuto kept jabbing the gun into him for any fucking reason.

“Itachi will be devastated to know that it is his own little brother that is destroying the family business. It’ll be run to the ground and annihilated.”

Sasuke snorted. He doubted Itachi would even care. That sonofabitch had no heart and no soul. It was nearly impossible to get him to show emotions, let alone get him to care about something.

“You’ll be doing everything Orochimaru says, or you will be punished. Make a wrong move, and I will be your executioner.”

Sasuke looked around as he kept walking forward, trying to force Kabuto’s annoying nasal voice out of his head _. I need to go back now, I’ve gone far enough_. _If I go for the gun, I have to do it extremely fast; I have to get it before he knows what I’m doing and has a chance to use it on me. I need to distract him somehow….._

“I doubt you’ll be able to.” Sasuke smirked as a perfect plan formed smoothly in his head after a few seconds of looking at his options. The easiest thing to do was to anger Kabuto and get _his_ temper to blind him, letting Sasuke think clearer and act faster. He flicked the wet hair plastered on his face away.

Kabuto’s eyes narrowed and he glared at the raven. “Of course I will.”

Sasuke shrugged and looked behind him, a mocking look in his eyes. Lightning arched across the sky and lit everything in a flash of bright light. “If I am this “perfect tool”, I highly doubt you’ll be able to harm me. Orochimaru wouldn’t let you touch me if I’m that valuable of an asset. Most likely, I’ll be put above you and you’ll be under my orders.” _Come on, get angry….._

Kabuto’s mouth twitch. It slid out of his smirk and into a deep frown. “..No, I am Orochimaru’s right hand, he needs me.”

“Not if I replace you, he won’t. You’ll be easily disposable, a mere piece of trash that is long overdue to be thrown away.” Sasuke persuaded. He could almost see the panic in Kabuto’s eyes as he envisioned his future. _Just a bit more should crack him…_

Kabuto’s eyes shot to Sasuke’s and he grinned and cocked his head. He moved slightly and a glare on his glasses hid his eyes. “I know what you’re doing, Sasuke. I’m not going to get mad. There is no way Orochimaru is getting rid of me, he _needs_ me. Just for your little useless attempt, I’ll do something for you.” Snickering, he tapped the earpiece that was miraculously still working in the rain and called Sakura.

“Sakura, go ahead and kill him now. Mercy is not an option.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened and his heart began a painfully fast rhythm. _Oh shit, oh fuck no…._

No response.

Kabuto frowned and tapped the piece again. “Sakura, do it now. Do you read me?” He was once again met with silence. Kabuto turned back towards where they had come from and too late realized his mistake.

Whipping around as fast as he could while bringing the gun up to defend himself, Kabuto was already done for. Sasuke’s fist slammed into his face and shattered his nose and glasses, driving some of the pieces of glass into his face. Sasuke’s other hand knocked the gun out of his hand while his knee was driven straight up into Kabuto’s stomach.

Moving as fast as the lighting above, Sasuke had to incapacitate the slimey freak before he could fight back. Knocking him to the ground, Sasuke delivered a vicious stomp on his chest and slammed his foot down repeatedly into his abdomen. Hearing something crunch loudly, Sasuke winced. He had definitely broken something. Oh well, they weren’t his bones.

Kabuto’s hand shot out and grabbed Sasuke’s foot, digging his nails into the tender skin covering his Achilles tendon. His foot kicked Sasuke near his groin. Falling down, Sasuke landed in a puddle of mud on his back, cursing as his hip throbbed in pain. He wiped the rain from his eyes quickly. Kabuto heaved himself up on his knees and leaned over Sasuke, getting ready to punch him. Not suffering from anything broken and able to move faster, Sasuke quickly brought up his other foot and slammed it into Kabuto’s chest again, hearing another satisfying crunch as bone grind against bone. Hacking up blood, Kabuto rolled off to the side in agony and found the lost gun. Wheezing, he latched on to it, stumbled to his feet and aimed it at Sasuke. Sasuke tackled him and grabbed the gun hand with both of his and forced the hand up, fighting for it as the both fell backwards.

Kabuto squeezed the trigger, trying to aim back down to Sasuke. The gun shots echoed loudly, mixing in with the roar of thunder and the snapping of lightning as it arched in the sky. Kabuto struggled to bring the gun down and quickly kneed Sasuke, this time hitting his mark. Sasuke grunted in pain and managed to block Kabuto’s second attempt at his groin. In his moment of pain, his hands loosened and lost their grip on Kabuto’s hand. Taking advantage, Kabuto slammed the butt into Sasuke’s ribs and pushed him away. Cursing loudly, Sasuke gritted his teeth, ignored the aching of his body and shoved himself to his feet, not going out without a fight. Kabuto once again brought the gun up, but began to cough violently, his body shaking with each hack. Sasuke ran at him; as the white haired man was occupied with coughing out his lungs, Sasuke gave him a deadly uppercut, watching as his head snapped backwards and he landed hard on the ground, losing the gun. Unable to keep going or take a breath, Kabuto feebly tried to get back up. Blood speckled his mouth as he tried to breathe.

His breath ragged and heavy, Sasuke slowly got to his feet, his body aching. Mud slowly dripped off of him and plopped down to the ground. Staring down at Kabuto, he knew he needed to get to Naruto fast. Sakura hadn’t responded and so she might have not gotten the message. Glaring at the body on the ground, lightning flashed behind him, causing his eyes to shine out brightly out of a black silhouette. Leaning down, he dug the cast away gun from the mud and cleaned it off as best as he could. Hopefully it still worked. Spitting out rain and blood that made its way into his mouth, he began to trek back, leaving Kabuto on the ground behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My fingers are fucking cold.


	22. Things Get a Lil' Rocky, and a Bit Fatal

They walked in a loosely straight line, with Shikamaru in the front, Temari in the middle, and Gaara watching the rear. Shikamaru sighed for the trillionth time; he gazed up at the rainy sky and grimaced. Although he didn't mind being out of the stuffy atmosphere inside of the wet green environment, he didn't like being fully exposed to the cold rain. It seeped down into his clothes and made them stick uncomfortably to his skin, effectively causing chafing in unpleasant areas. Out of the jungle, they traveled along the shore but just inside the tree line, watching out for any suspicious activity and staying out of sight. They kept mostly quiet; nobody had anything to say. The loud roaring of the thunder and the pattering of the rain on the tree leaves filled in the silence.

The once smooth and blue waves of the ocean had begun to get choppy and gray. The water level rose, reaching further and further onto the shore. The sand turned from a golden yellow color to a dark, wet, gray. Slowly, it began to evolve and turn into bigger chunks, until it became a mess of rock fragments. The ground gradually sloped up, progressively turning into a sort of cliff. Stepping out of the jungle, they wandered around on the rocks, commenting on how strange it was to find such large boulders when there were no ways it would naturally occur. They walked up on the cliff, heading towards the peak, thinking to use it as a lookout. Although it was difficult to see, they stayed in the middle of the cliff, making sure not to fall off of the sides. Thankfully, the bigger boulders where placed towards the edges, making it easier to avoid falling off.

"Watch out!"

Temari cried out to Shikamaru just as a huge rock was hurtling towards him. His eyes widening in shock and his body freezing up, Shikamaru was tackled out of the way by Gaara. They landed hard on the rocky ground behind Shikamaru, splashing in a puddle of water. The red head immediately rolled over and jumped up as more rocks came their way; He drew his guns and aimed them, but found not target in the thick rain. Temari was moving fast, dodging the pieces launched at her. Unable to retaliate, she opted for getting to a safe location first and then getting on the offensive side.

"Where the fuck did that come from?!"

Shikamaru cursed as got to his feet quickly and ran behind a boulder that was nearly his height. Ducking down behind it, he spied Temari and Gaara doing the same. Temari had her back pressed to the hard ridge of the rock she was hiding behind. She held her weapon tightly in her hands and was leaning low, trying to spot their attacker through the thick mist of rain surrounding them. She reached up and touched her ear. Her voice was slightly out of breath when she spoke in his ear.

"It came from the cliff point. I didn't see who, it was too dark; I only just saw the rock when it was a few feet away."

"It's a man wearing green fatigues. He has orange hair in three spots on his head and is rather big. He's the one throwing the rocks at us." Gaara glanced over at Shikamaru before gazing back towards the cliff point.

"You saw him? Through all this rain?"

Temari asked, looking over at Gaara skeptically. Gaara shook his head; he turned and nodded up towards the cliff.

"He's coming down, and he doesn't look happy."

**xXx**

Sakura watched as the two men disappeared and left her with Naruto. Sighing, she glared around and looked at the rain that was slowly gathering into small puddles on the floor. Her hair was going to be ruined. It had rained before, but she had managed to keep dry by hiding in small caves the she emptied out. Only small mammals had lived in the caves, ones easily dealt with by a knife. Lamenting her ruined tresses, she decided it was time to get rid of the blond and go home to a nice warm bubble bath and decent food. Getting behind the quiet man, she held the gun with both hands and pushed the barrel into his back.

"Well, it's just you and me. Start walking into the jungle."

Naruto felt isolated as he was all alone with Sakura and her gun. At any given moment, she could shoot him and he had no doubt she would. It was just a matter of when; it was best to play along until an opportunity to run came. Nodding his head, he stepped towards the trees and cringed as his leg cried out. Now that nothing was distracting him from his leg pain, it had returned full force and aching for revenge. Gritting his teeth, he tried to force himself to walk as normal as possible, lest he give Sakura a reason to shoot quicker. _This isn't good. I can't run away if I'm injured….Oh, shit, what to do? Fucking Sasuke, why the hell did you leave?_ Knowing fully that he was the reason Sasuke had to go, Naruto couldn't help but feel that the raven had left him.

After walking for a while and the atmosphere thick with tension, wariness, and the quiet roar of thunder and rain, Naruto was anxiously waiting for the girl to do, at least, _something_. It's not like he wanted to die faster, it's just that the suspense was killing him. He kept jumping at every twig he heard snap underneath his foot and would freeze when she would suddenly move fast. His leg was a constant ache now, unleashing a wave of hot pain with each step and every move he made.

"You know, I can't really see why Sasuke likes you. There's nothing special about you."

Startled, Naruto stopped walking and turned back to look at her. She gave him a condescending look and made a swirl with her pointer finger, motioning that he should turn back around. Obediently twisting around, he kept up his mindless wandering. She never told him where to go; she just kept telling him to keep walking. It was disturbing; he was literally walking to his death. Or that's how it seemed. Shivering, the rain had leeched all the warmth sun had brought and replaced it with coldness.

"I mean, there has to be a reason that he wants you. Besides that you and he are gay. Or maybe he just took what he could get since he was stuck here with you. That would explain it."

Getting pissed that she was thinking so little of him, Naruto scowled. "Or maybe, just maybe, it's my amazing personality." He retorted lightly, not wanting to anger her, but needing to respond somehow.

Sakura pondered this for a moment before answering. Stepping into a fallen tree with the roots out in the open, she shook her head. "No, you're probably after his money and so you're just getting on his good side. Oh well, looks like you won't be."

_Don't you mean you're after his money? Fucking bitch._ Naruto growled, feeling oddly protective over his raven. He felt bad that he hadn't believed the man at first and now wanted to somehow make up for it. But he couldn't now, since Ms. Pink-haired bitch was liable to shoot him.

"…"

"Don't worry though. I'll make sure he stays nice and happy once we get back. A man like that needs to be kept satisfied and I think I'm up for the challenge."

Naruto's lips curled in disgust, but soon smoothed out into a cocky smirk. He knew the raven in no way, shape, or form would ever go for her. Sasuke hated her the moment she first spoke to him; she didn't stand a chance. But that didn't quell the waves of jealously that surrounded Naruto at the mere thought of her kissing him again.

"All right, I think we're far enough. Kneel down and put your hands behind your head." She commanded.

His heart beating wildly in his chest, Naruto tensed up and didn't move. _This is it. I need to do something, but what!? What the fuck should I do?!_ His palms became slick with sweat and his pulse pounded in his ears. _Option one; grab the gun and try to shoot her. ….. and face her probably better fighting skills and die. Option two; run for it….and get shot in the back and die. Option three; get shot, then fight back…and die of blood loss. Option four; get shot, then die. Jesus, I can't win!_

Sakura sighed and tilted the gun a foot off of Naruto. She fired off a warning shot and brought the weapon back to its original spot.

Naruto jumped out of his skin as he heard a bullet whine past his ear and jam into a poor bystander tree. His eyes widened as he observed the bullet buried in the tree's bark. _That could have been me….oh fuck….._

"I _said_ , kneel."

Naruto bent his legs abruptly and fell down as his leg decided to go against his wishes and give out. He landed hard on his stomach and into mud. Sliding a few feet forward, he coughed and wiped the mud that had splattered up his face away. Clearing his vision, his eyes widened as he realized he knew where they were. The rain made it harder to see, but this was the same place where he and Sasuke were nearly mauled. That meant that…..

"Hey, get up. Or no, better yet, stay down."

Sakura made her way over to him slowly, savoring the fear she thought she was causing him. She watched in amusement how Naruto flipped himself around and was scooting back on his bum. His azure eyes were stuck on her gun. Smirking, she felt empowered.

Inching backwards, he needed to do something fast! Eyeing the gun, his hand brushed something rough as he kept moving back. Taking his eyes off the weapon for a fraction of a second, he looked down at his hand to see what it had touched. On the ground, hidden by the ferns, was Kyuubi! The orange ball had been missing since the cat incident. In a split second, an idea formed in his head and he knew it was now or never. Naruto looked up and turned his head slightly to the side.

"Sasuke!"

He called out, making sure to look past her at something that was not there. It was crucial that he be believable enough. As if on cue, Sakura whipped around and brought the gun closer toward her face, ready to aim it.

"Sasuke? He's back?"

While her back was to him, Naruto grabbed Kyuubi and let him believe he could fly. He threw the basketball as hard as he could and it rocketed up through the air and slammed into Sakura's gun hand, which in turn smacked her in the face and knocked her off balance. Slipping on the slick leaves coating the ground, she screamed and fell down into the same ravine where earlier, he and Sasuke had been stuck in. Thunder violently crashed above him as he slowly got to his feet and stared at the spot where she had been. There was no more screaming. _Sweet Jesus, she's gone._ Relief flooded his body. _I'm alive! I did it!...Oh fuck, I have to get Sasuke!_ Riding on the adrenaline coursing through his veins and capillaries, he bent down and grabbed the gun Sakura had dropped before taking off in the direction where they had come from, all the while limping. His leg was going to hurt in the morning.

**xXx**

Cursing under his breath, Iruka groaned and climbed higher in the tree, struggling as the fabric of his clothes snagged on the rough tree bark. Not used to such strenuous activities, like running at top speed in a convoluted jungle for twenty minutes, he was exhausted. And now, he was being forced to climb a tree to try and find the silver-haired being that had, accidentally, left him behind. Fun times.

"Can't say it's his fault." He grunted as he heaved himself up another branch. "If I had been paying closer attention, I would have noticed faster when he had picked up the pace and left me alone." Iruka had been admiring the wildlife as they traveled on. He noticed how green the beautiful foliage was and how diverse the biota was while following Kakashi. Going fast at first, Kakashi thought it would be best to take it nice and slow and conserve energy, all the while shoving sexual innuendos in every sentence. At one point, the taller man ceased all movement and had told Iruka to stay still. He had spotted the people that might have been the ones Itachi was talking about. Waiting for them to move away, they rested for a bit and then began anew, thinking it would be best to avoid confrontations before they had Sasuke.. And then Iruka fell behind and lost sight of the man.

Biting his lip, he slid onto another branch and held on for dear life as it swayed under his feet. _Don't fall, don't fall…_

"Well, this might be far up enough."

Edging out toward the end of the branch and away from the trunk, he clutched the higher branches for support and peered out and around to see what he could find.

"…Fantastic, Umino. Great plan."

Muttering sarcastically, he found himself staring at a thick canopy of the tops of trees that hid any and all signs of the jungle floor. The thick gray clouds unleashed an unholy down pour and the trees underneath danced and welcomed the rain. The pattering of rain became a constant roar, almost deafening. Getting pelted by the rain, he needed to get down before he fell down. _This was a waste of time._ Carefully making his way down, he held on to the trunk and stepped onto the branches that didn't tremble under his weight. Shimmying down, his heart would jump as his shoe lost its footing and almost slipped several times.

Once he was back underneath the canopy, he noticed that the taller trees had branches that extended around each other, connecting them. An idea popping into his head, he edged over to the next tree and very cautiously stepped on to the adjacent branch. A small thrill of success ran over him as he didn't fall to his death. Glancing around, he figured it would be best to keep going like this.

"I can see farther and cover more ground. He can't have gone too far, so I'll have to speed it up, while not falling to my impending doom."

Chuckling uneasily, he tried to force away the negative thoughts and think more positively, but his naturally pessimistic attitude kept him from fully achieving his goal. Suddenly, gunshots were heard. His head shot up and he looked around, trying to locate the area the sounds came from. The shots almost blended in with the thunder, but he could recognize them. _Oh no, that's not good….We've got to find Naruto and Sasuke fast, before anything else happens…that is if anything hasn't happened yet…._

**xXx**

Itachi was moving fast. He knew the dangers that were everywhere and was being extremely careful. Keeping his weapon close to his body and ready to fire, he made his way deeper and deeper into the jungle. He had found the plane crash a while back and it astonished him that Sasuke and Naruto had actually survived. The plane was absolutely shredded and ripped apart. It made him proud to have such a strong and tenacious little brother; a true Uchiha. Making his way past the plane, he pushed himself to go faster. He forced himself past all of the thick plants and trees in his way. There was no easy path; it was all a mesh of green and darker green. The rain steadily beating down on him had blocked his view even more with the mist it created.

Grunting slightly as he was smacked in the face by a giant wet fern, he ripped it out of his face and moved forward and kept going. The ground was quickly becoming hazardous. The rain brought tons of mud, which hid the rocks and twigs littering the ground. It made it harder to go fast if you had to keep watching your feet for hidden traps. He paused and brought out the tracking device he was using to get his bearings. He was close; Sasuke was a bit further ahead. Rain splattered on the screen, covering it in droplets; they ran down the front and blurred up the dots. Getting an uneasy feeling in the base of his spine, he slipped it back into his pocket and strode forward, soon reaching the spot where the dot had been blinking.

He entered a clearing with a tall, gorgeous waterfall in the background. The surface was full of small waves as the rain hit it and bounced back up. A chilly mist had come around and swamped the area, making it harder to see. Inspecting everything closely, he instantly recognized the remains of a campfire on the ground and his eyes zeroed in on a shelter up against a tree. Striding over to the tree, he took out the device and scrutinized it. It was indicating that Sasuke was inside, but when he peered in, all he found were the pitiful remainders of a once expensive suit, civilian clothes, and Sasuke's briefcase. _His belongings are here, so he must be nearby. There appear to be no signs of a fight; he might not have run into any of Orochimaru's men yet_.

Staring down at the pieces of cloth strewn around, he realized something. Both of them must be walking around without clothes. And with the cold rain bearing down on them, chances of getting sick and injured go up exponentially. His lips pressing into a thin line, Itachi turned his back to the shelter and looked around. Picking a random exit, he left the clearing and began to search in the surrounding areas, hoping to run into his little brother. _Sasuke….._

**xXx**

Groaning and whimpering, Sakura picked herself gingerly off the ground. Wincing as her body cried out in protest, she groggily sat up. Looking around and noticing the dramatic change in weather, she realized that she had been knocked out after she fell. Cursing Naruto to the ninth ring of hell, she wiped rain from here bruised face.

"Naruto I'm going to fucking kill you, you stupid asshole. Why couldn't you just let me kill you?"

Muttering and griping, he got to her knees and stood up on shaky legs. Around her, a small river of mud was forming. Bracing herself on the ravine wall, she failed to notice the bright yellow eyes that tracked her every move out of darkness of the jungle. Managing to walk a couple of steps, she inspected herself for injures and wounds. Besides a few scratches and bruises, she appeared okay. Her clothes, on the other hand, were a tattered and ragged mess.

"You fucking idiot. Look what you've done. I'm all dirty now."

She dusted her skirt off and tried to make herself presentable. Failing, she gave up and set to somehow get out of the steep ravine. Grabbing onto the rocks that stuck out of the wall, she tried to pull herself out, but couldn't. The rain had made the stones too slippery to get a good grip on and she kept sliding back and scratching her legs on the sharp rocks.

A deep rumbling noise vibrated the world around her. Instantly, she froze and her hand instinctively shot to her waist, reaching for her gun. _That was not thunder…Oh fuck… that's definitely not thunder._ Her hand landing upon an empty holster, a sliver of fear shot through her. _Wait, where the hell is my gun?_ She frantically began to pat her waist, searching for the nonexistent gun. _What happened to it!?…._ Remembering that she had been holding it seconds before she was knocked down, she realized that either Naruto had it or it was somewhere up on the edge of the ravine. _Shit, I have to get it. But how? I can't reach up there and I keep slipping off._

The rumbling increased in intensity and drew closer. Panicking, Sakura, twisted around, searching for the jaguar she knew was watching her. Knowing that her only defense was her knife strapped to her thigh, she felt vulnerable and weak. She then brought her hand to her thigh where the hunting blade was securely strapped. Drawing the heavy blade out of the holster, she readied it, holding the handle securely and holding the blade away from her body. She crouched slightly and her eyes were frantically flicking back and forth. Fear and adrenaline spiking into her veins, she swallowed heavily and desperately searched around her. Kimimaro had warned her to be mindful of the wildlife; the island was home to jaguars, but she had barely paid him any attention, a decision she now regretted.

Right behind her, in the thick bushes up on higher ground, the jaguar slowly twitched its tail in anticipation for an easy lunch. It coiled and uncoiled, swishing around playfully. The thick muscles of its body were tense, prepared for action. The golden eyes blinked and focused. The tail stood still. Stretching out its powerful legs, the animal leapt up and landed neatly in the ravine, facing Sakura directly on.

Whipping around, Sakura screamed as she watched the jaguar land in the ravine with her. It watched her curiously, its tongue darting out to lick its massive chops. Nearly losing the blade in her sweaty and weak grip, she grabbed onto it with both hands and pointed it at the beast, as if it would scare it away. Her hands trembling violently, she struggled to keep a steady grip on the knife.

Snorting, the jaguar seemed to laugh at her pitiful defense. It was no danger. Growling, it drew nearer; its sharp eyes watching her every move. It prowled around her and stared, showcasing its power and hunger. As the rain fell on its beautiful spotted fur, it simply appeared to enjoy the weather, rather than dislike it. The beast was in its home and had every advantage possible over Sakura.

"G-go away! Leave me alone, you stupid animal!"

Hoping to frighten it off, Sakura yelled at it. She backed up a couple of steps; she was deterred when her back met the ravine wall. The jaguar simply cocked its head in confusion and proceeded to see her scream as a challenge. Growling, the jaguar bared its teeth and snapped its jaw, eliciting a shriek of terror from the pink haired being. Done with playing, it attacked.

Instantly, the jaguar went back on its hind legs and leapt up, slamming its body into Sakura's. Sakura was thrown into the wall, where her back was met with the jagged tips of pointy rocks. Screaming in pain and fright, she brought her hand down, attempting to stab the beast. Before reaching her mark, the animal twisted and clamped its jaws down on her arm and proceeded to crunch into it. A sickening _snap_ was heard as it mutilated her arm and chewed on her bones, grinding them one against the other. In a desperate attempt of survival, she grabbed the knife with her other hand and stabbed the beast. Unable to get a good angle, she simply managed to nick along its leg, freeing a bit of blood. The jaguar released her arm and viciously and powerfully pawed her torso, knocking her to the ground. Her left arm rendered useless, she struggled to crawl away before anything else happened.

Not happy that its lunch was trying to escape, the jaguar pounced again. Landing right on her stomach, the beast shoved her to the ground and dug its teeth into her neck. Biting down, it bit nearly clean through her throat, revealing to the world the inside of her neck. Pulling back and licking its chops, the jaguar left her neck in favor of her stomach. Raking its razor sharp claws across her abdomen, the animal immediately ripped into the soft internal organs, shredding them and swallowing the chunks. Semi-conscious, Sakura watched helplessly as her body was torn open and she got to vaguely see what had once been inside her. Massive amounts of blood pumped out, coating the jaguar's face and whiskers. The rain slowly began to puddle in the cavity where her intestines were, causing a red river to flow out and join the muddy one on the floor. The light faded from her eyes, and the pain began to ebb. Then, everything went black.

The knife clattered uselessly to the ground as the jaguar feasted, its jaws ripping and tearing the bloody flesh from the white bones.

Out of the undergrowth, a small cub poked its head out and curiously looked around for its mama. It looked just like the mother, but with a stronger yellow tone and clear blue eyes. Find her, it happily hopped out into the rain and ran over to join her, digging in immediately to the soft flesh exposed. Another cub soon popped out too; this one was darker, almost completely black. Instead of blue eyes, it's were a deep red color. Ambling over to them, it bumped the yellow cub out of the way and ate too, whilst getting its ear gnawed on by an annoyed yellow cub.

**xXx**

Kakashi felt cold sweat slowly drip down his back. His hear pounded in his chest and his hands had begun to shake slightly. _This is bad, this is fucking bad….oh Shit._ Knowing that every second he didn't move brought him closer to death, he shut off his thoughts and went with his instincts. Immediately, he dove to the right, rolling out of the way. Bullets slammed into the ground around him, barely missing him. He quickly launched himself into some bushes and tried to create some distance.

"Fuck, you missed him!"

"You missed too!"

"Don't just stand there, come on, we have to kill him."

"How the hell are we going to find him in all this rain? I can barely see shit."

"The tracker, duh. It's waterproof and can find him easily."

"..then start using it!"

Hearing this, Kakashi froze. If they were searching by body heat signals, he might as well walk back out there with a target painted on his chest. _Fuck, what do I do?..._ Hedging his bets, he decided if he was going down, he was taking at least one of them with him. Knowing they had the advantage with being able to easily spot him, he wasted no time in trying to hide his heat signature. Jumping out of the bushes he was hiding in, he fired off a couple of shots in their direction, hoping to have either scared them off or shot one of them. No such luck.

"There he is!"

Leaping over fallen tree, he ducked down and rolled as they gave chase. Springing back up, he made his way behind the one without the tracker and tackled him heavily, knocking him down. Grunting as he was punched, he brought his own gun down hard and slammed the butt into the guy's face.

"Ow fuck! Sakon, help!"

A foot met brutally with his ribcage and threw Kakashi off of the twin with the now bloody face. Gasping as he lost his breath, Kakashi barely had enough time to duck as several fists flew by his face. His gun slipped from his hand and clattered against some rocks on the floor. _Aw, fuck.._

"You motherfucking piece of shit, stay fucking still!"

Sakon growled, trying to get a good aim to shoot at the man, but kept getting interrupted by his brother. He followed the man with the gun, but couldn't get a clear shot as Ukon kept stepping in the way.

"Ukon, get out of the way, or I'm going to end up shooting you!"

At once, Kakashi latched on to Ukon behind and snaked his arms beneath Ukon's armpits, interlocking his fingers behind his neck. Regretting the loss of his gun, he kept Ukon's body between him and Sakon; a human meat shield. Maneuvering around, he managed to switch from a two arm grip to one arm, using his free hand to draw out his hunting knife and press it tightly against Ukon's neck.

"You motherfucking piece of shit, let me go!"

Ukon cried out, his voice panicky and angry. He struggled furtively, unable to free himself. Kakashi pressed the knife more firmly against his neck, drawing out a few drops of crimson.

"Drop the gun or your brother gets his fucking throat sliced."

Kakashi threatened, his voice as cold as ice and as sharp as the knife he held. His mismatched eyes bore into Sakon's, staring at him with a piercing glare. His teeth baring slightly and his arm muscles bunching to keep the man still, he kicked the back of Ukon's knee, forcing him to bend down. Making sure to keep his body protected behind Ukon's, Kakashi shoved the man's head farther to the side and pushed the serrated blade closer to his jugular vein. _Drop the goddamn gun….C'mon…_

"You can't fool me, you won't do shit."

Shrugging nonchalantly, Kakashi put more pressure down on the blade excruciatingly slow, pushing it in a few painful centimeters deep. It was a warning.

"Sakon, fucking shoot him!" Ukon screamed, feeling his own hot, sticky blood drip down on his clothes. "Help me!"

"Let him go, or I'll put a bullet in your head, I swear I will, you piece of shit!"

Nervously, Sakon watched as the silver-haired man slowly shoved the blade deeper, getting dangerously close to doing irreversible damage to his brother. His hands trembling, he cocked the gun, aiming for the man's head. Rain water dripped into his eyes and forced him to quickly blink it away, leaving his vision slightly blurry.

"Drop, or I cut." Kakashi warned, his arm tightening around Ukon's neck, cutting off his air supply.

"NO!"

In a moment of pure panic, Ukon bolted up, head-butting Kakashi dead on. Off balance from the sudden movement, Kakashi stumbled back, his arm tightening on instinct. The blade of the knife slid into Ukno's neck seamlessly, slicing through muscle and tissue like butter. A spray of blood erupted out, creating its own red rain. Gurgling, Ukon clutched his neck, his blood seeping quickly through his fingers. Sakon watched in horror as his own brother slowly bled to death in front of him.

"Ukon!"

He ran over to his wounded sibling and pressed his hands to his neck, trying to stem the flow of the ruby liquid. Ukon's hands came up and held on to his brother's wrists, looking at him as his eyes slowly dulled. Within seconds, Ukon was dead. A puddle of blood pooled around him and he slid from Sakon's grasp and onto the ground. Sakon stared at his blood coated hands; they trembled. Paralyzed, he gazed down at the corpse, at the crude line opening Ukon's throat.

Kakashi was stunned. He hadn't actually wanted to murder the guy; he had been bluffing. He stepped back, hoping to escape now that the other was distracted. Inching backwards, lighting split the sky, illuminating the clearing where they were brightly. Wincing as he was momentarily blinded, he blinked heavily. Suddenly, the other twin was in his line of vision. He was standing up, clutching the gun in both bloody hands, aiming it at Kakashi. Tears of rage and hatred fell from his eyes, mixing in with the rain and disappearing.

"You killed my brother….You _killed_ him…."

Gunshots permeated the air as he shot at Kakashi. Jolted out of his surprised state, Kakashi turned to run. Immediately, he was brutally shoved as something slammed into his left shoulder. Pain instantly exploded in his shoulder, making him cry out wordlessly. He pressed his right hand to the injured shoulder, trying to identify how bad it was and what hit him. His fingers painfully ran across a hole in his body. He'd been shot.

**xXx**

Kabuto grunted painfully as he painstakingly got to his feet. Choking on the phlegm building up in the back of his throat, he spit out a bloody wad and winced. It landed on the wet ground with a plop. Looking up, he held on to his stomach and groaned. It was laborious to breathe and he kept coughing up blood. The slightest touch on his chest resulted in massive waves of burning pain.

Looking around, all he could see was gray and green meshing together. He needed his glasses. Rain pelted down on him and made it all the more harder to walk. He hacked up another blob, but refused to look at it. He had been a medical student once and knew what had happened. Sasuke had stomped on his chest hard enough and broke his ribs, sending the fragments into his lungs and piercing them. And judging by the amount of blood he was exhaling and how hard breathing was, he knew he had to get to a hospital fast.

Rubbing the water out of his eyes, he squinted around, looking for some sort of landmark to use as a guide back to the plane. He avoided touching his nose; Sasuke had broken it in several places and it was swollen. Besides seeing clearly a few feet in front of him, everything else was an unrecognizable blend of dark colors.

Limping along while using the surrounding trees as supports, he picked his way into the jungle, his vision darkening and brightening randomly. Stopping as a body wracking couch hit him, he ejected more viscous blood. His vision swimming, he black out for a couple of seconds before regaining his sight. Alarmed, he struggled to stand up and go faster. Suddenly, through the heavy pounding of the rain, he heard sinister laughing. Fear slithering up his spine and spiking up his heart rate, he struggled to keep his breathing from becoming painful pants. Slowly twisting around to find the source of the laughter, his eyes fell on a black figure seemingly gliding towards him. It drifted slowly through the thick mist the rain was creating. Out of the shadows, a black combat boot materialized, followed by the long length of a leg and then a torso. Stepping into Kabuto's field of vision, the figure stopped.

Itachi Uchiha stood behind him, a gun in his outstretched hand.

Terrified, Kabuto watched as the dangerous man silently watched him. Itachi calmly slid the weapon into his pocket and smirked cruelly at the fallen man. Judging by how the man was breathing and the blood on his clothes and face, it was evident that Kabuto was by no means any threat. Seething with hatred and disgust, Kabuto tried to speak but only managed a gurgling, wet grunt as he stepped away from the horrifying man.

"I told you not fuck with me and, yet, you did."

Grunting incoherently, Kabuto tried to force his body to move, but it no longer was under his jurisdiction. He was done.

"You messed with me and my family. I warned you, you little sick freak."

Itachi spoke almost casually, as if he were simply ordering something off of a menu at a restaurant. His tone belied his tense body position. He slowly stalked after Kabuto as the white-haired man began to back away from him.

Tripping, Kabuto fell back hard and cried out in agony as his lungs took another beating. Spots of color coated his sight, making everything turn gray. A heavy boot landed on his chest with a thud, breaking more of his ribs. Itachi slowly crouched down, putting all of his body weight on the leg resting on Kabuto's chest. Screaming out in pain as the pressure increased, Kabuto's cries cut off as blood poured out his mouth from his lungs.

Itachi shoved the gun into Kabuto's mouth, pushing until the barrel rested against the back of Kabuto's upper throat, towards his brainstem. Kabuto began to cough heavily in his attempt to draw breath around the gun in his mouth and the liquid in his chest. Lightning flashed, creating odd shadows around them and adding to the heavy atmosphere surrounding them. Momentarily hidden by the darkness after the light, Itachi loomed over Kabuto, almost appearing to be an angel of death. The steady beat of rain pounded both of them; Kabuto's eyes were wide and terrified, his hands clawing weakly at Itachi's arms.

"I told you to watch your back. You should have listened."

Pulling the trigger almost lazily, Itachi observed as the back of Kabuto's head disappeared in a cloud of red mist and brain matter and left a bloody, bony crater where it had once been whole. His jaw broke open, revealing the tunnel Itachi created. The corpse slid back down into the mud and slowly began to be overtaken by the running water.

Feeling no satisfaction, Itachi merely put his piece away and began to run in the direction in which he had watched the dead man walk towards. If he was going over there, then something must be there. _I have a feeling Sasuke is up ahead….._

Vanishing into the wet darkness, he left, leaving the body to sink down in the darkness and be lost.


	23. Just Take A Shot In The Dark

“Come on out, you little rats! I see you hiding!”

Coming down from the cliff, Jirobo grinned cockily as he made out the figures by the rocks. From what he could tell, there were two males and one female. Annoyed, he stomped down intimidatingly. He had wanted to get rid of at least one before he dealt with the others, but the sonofabitch had been pushed out of the way by the redhead when he threw the heavy rock. Using the environment around him helped preserve his ammo. Behind him, he heard the waves begin to slam against the cliff face harder. The once soft breezes were now harsh, warm blows. The loud crashing of waves blocked out the rat’s voices, leaving him clueless as to their plans.

“There’s no point in hiding, you’re going to die.”

He was coming closer and closer. _Stupid idiots. They don’t even want to live, do they? They’re just standing there, not moving._ Now that he had a better visual and range to shoot, he withdrew his weapon from his holster and advanced on them.

“Oh fuck, I see him. What do we do?

Temari inquired, taking her eyes off of their enemy and turning to her partners. Gaara looked calm and composed, almost unfazed about what was happening; but that didn’t mean anything. That’s how he always looked. Shikamaru appeared to be in deep thought, silently watching the man approach. Neither responded to her. Rolling her eyes, she decided to take action before the man got closer. Slinking back down, she carefully maneuvered herself to the other side of the thick boulder she was hiding behind.

Shikamaru turned to the man coming towards him. In his mind, he was planning out hundreds of plans on how to deal with the enemy. The man appeared to be comfortable out in the open as he was easily coming for them and even taunting them. He had been throwing heavy rocks, so he had quite a bit of arm muscle. But now, he wasn’t throwing anything; he probably knew and was well-versed for close range fighting.

Jirobo squinted as he saw one of the figures move. Unable to discern what they were doing, he opted to put his weapon back and handle this with carefully. He had the advantage, after all.

Temari cautiously got into position and aimed her gun. She peeked over the side of the boulder and crouched down. Squinting in the rain that pelted her face, she trained the gun on the man and fired once. Satisfied, she watched faintly as the man stumbled back with the impact as lighting lit the cliff up. Standing up and walking out from behind the protection of the rock, she turned and grinned at her companions.

“That was almost too easy. Thanks for all the help, you guys.”

Warily standing up, Shikamaru looked over where the man was. His eyes narrowing, he saw that the man wasn’t standing up anymore. In fact, he couldn’t see him at all. _Where did he go? Did he fall down somehow?_

“Where is he? If you got him, he should be on the floor, right?”

Gaara came up silently, his green eyes inspecting the area around them. Temari twirled her gun around her pointer finger and shoved it into her holster. “He probably fell over and down the cliff. The lightning blinded me and I couldn’t see him.

Shikamaru shrugged and turned around. “I guess that’s that. Let’s try and find the others. They’ve probably found Sasuke and Naruto already.”

All three of them turned around and descended carefully down the cliff. A deep sinister laugh slowly floated around them. Freezing they all immediately twisted back around just in time to see the man still alive and standing. Shocked, Temari scowled and immediately moved to cover, this time behind another boulder with Shikamaru. Her hand shooting to her waist, she yanked out her piece and quickly fired again. Gaara followed suit and fired off a couple of shots at the man. Stunned, they noticed that although the bullets made impact, the man was not hurt by them.

“What’s the matter, little rats? Getting scared?”

The man cackled, laughing as he was shot. Cursing, Shikamaru yanked out his Berretta and aimed it at the man’s head as best as he could.

“He’s got on a bulletproof vest, aim for his head!”

Thunder violently shook the area, with lightning arcing across the sky and blinding them. A deep rumbling came from up where the man was. In horror, the trio watched as he hid behind a boulder and began to push it. The giant rock shifted slowly, but soon began to roll down, crushing everything in its way.

“Oh fuck! Everyone run!”

Propelling himself forward, Gaara raced down the cliff with Temari and Shikamaru right behind him. Legs pumping and chests heaving, they tried to outrun the huge rock gaining on them. Thanks to the other rocks blocking up the sides of the cliff, there was no way but to head down the same way in which they had come. The ground vibrated violently as the boulder tumbled down and shook the earth. In the background, they could hear the man laughing and yelling at them.

“Run fast! HAHAHA!”

“Head off into the jungle! The trees will stop the rock!”

Gaara called out, diving into the jungle and immediately going to the areas where the trees were thicker. He managed to get separated from the other two as he raced away.

Shikamaru leapt over the smaller rocks that peppered the ground, desperately trying to out run the ball of death that was slowly getting closer and closer. Glancing around him quickly, he noticed that all of his team mates had disappeared. _Was this part of his plan? To separate all of us so he could pick us off one by one? This is bad…_

**xXx**

Kiba stopped again; sniffing the air, he glared around him.

“I smell it again. I’m telling you guys, something is following us.”

Kankuro rolled his eyes and pushed past the still brunette. “Not again. You probably smell some sort of animal. They’re everywhere, so it’s easy to think it might be following us.”

“Fuck you, I smell it. I’m dead serious, someone is here. I just can’t see a fucking thing!”

Rubbing his nose, he wandered around, trying to pick out in what direction the scent was coming from, but the rain made it impossible. Seconds later, it was washed away.

“Kiba, are you sure?”

Hinata stood next to him, once again looking around and trying to find the mystery follower.

“ _Yes, I’m sure_. They’re around here somewhere. God, this is fucking annoying!”

“What’s annoying is you stopping every second to tell us about some imaginary smell.”

“Go to hell, this is only the second time.”

“Whatever, it’s still irritating. Let’s just keep going. Obviously, if something were actually following us, it would have attacked by now. We’re sitting ducks out here.”

Heading off, Kankuro left them behind. Cursing, Kiba followed behind, muttering under his breath and making obscene gestures with his hands behind Kankuro’s back. Hinata gazed uneasily around the area before she caught up with Kiba.

Kankuro marched along, trekking through all of the thick leafs that grew in the damp environment. Grimacing as his clothes began to chafe, he tugged on his shirt collar and the cotton clung wetly to his cold skin. _We should have brought some damn umbrellas. I’m fucking freezing my dick off._ Hearing mumbling coming from behind him, he rolled his eyes. Kiba was so immature, it hurt.

“You know I can hear you, right?”

Kiba glared at him and raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. “I wasn’t talking to you, stupid. I was talking to myself.”

Kankuro turned around and grinned at the irate brunette behind him. “Kiba, did you eat paint chips when you were a kid?”

Kiba looked at him and cocked his head much like a dog does when confused. “No, why?”

His grin widening, Kankuro turned back around and shook his head. “No reason. Just wondering.”

Kiba mimicked him and turned to Hinata. “He’s such an asshole. You know what? I’m taking the lead now.”

Jogging up ahead, he bypassed Kankuro and raced up ahead. He quickly disappeared into the darkness and

“K-Kiba, come back!” Hinata called out after him, worried. “He n-needs to be more c-careful.”

“He doesn't know the meaning of the word careful. In fact, he doesn't know the meaning of a lot of words.” Snickering, he looked over at Hinata. “Right?”

Hinata stared at him disapprovingly. Seconds passed and she still didn’t respond, making Kankuro feel uncomfortable. Rubbing the back of his neck, he opted to catch up with the dumbass before he did anything dangerous. Pushing past some thick bushes and almost falling from vines that snaked all over the floor, Kankuro ran straight into Kiba’s back. Grunting, he shoved the man.

“Move, retard! What the hell are you standing around for?”

Kiba looked strangely pale and he wasn’t moving; he kept staring straight ahead. Wary, Kankuro waved a hand over his face.

“Kiba? Anybody there?”

Kiba brought up a hand shoved Kankuro’s hand away. He then pointed in front of him and grimaced. Curious, Kankuro followed his finger and took a step back, his foot crunching loudly on something.

The floor of the small clearing they wandered into was littered with bones. Chunks of flesh clung to the white frames, slowly rotting away. Pieces of clothes were scattered amongst the mass of red and pink, indicating that the bones were not just animal bones. Skulls, human and animal alike, sunk into the ground and were covered with bite marks and teeth gouges. The jungle floor ran red as the rain fell onto the carcasses with more viscera and ran off. Some of the bones were half inundated by mud while other stood out of the ground like a Halloween decoration. Gagging, Kankuro brought a hand to his mouth. A rancid smell hit his nose. The sickeningly sweet smell of decay permeated the air, bringing his breakfast back to his mouth. The leaves rustling behind him, he turned to see Hinata coming into the clearing too. At once, Kiba was at her side and hiding the view from her.

“There’s nothing here. Let’s keep going.”

He shot a look at Kankuro, and then looked back towards the feeding ground. He didn’t want her to see that mess. Kankuro nodded at him once a helped block the view with his body. He knew Kiba was pretty protective of his girl. He wouldn’t have wanted even Temari to see that, and he knew what a tough bitch she was.

“Kiba, what was it? Did you find what you smelled?”

Hesitating, Kiba looked down at Hinata and grinned, hoping to mask the horror he had seen and the disgust he was feeling. “Yea, I found it. Kankuro was right, it was an animal.”

“What animal was it?”

“Ya know….just, an animal. Now come on, we have to find Sasuke and Naruto.”

Kiba rubbed his nose. Since his nose was so sensitive, the smell of decay and blood along with wet fur invaded his nose and made his eyes water. He was relieved to know the bodies had been there for a while and that the paw prints he saw led away and were nearly entirely faded by the rain. Adding killer cats to his list of current problems was something he wasn’t looking forward to.

“Not if I have anything to say about it, tattoo boy.”

Caught off guard, Kiba, Hinata, and Kankuro all turned around and saw a young woman with shocking red hair and dark green fatigues standing behind them. She stood there, almost nonchalantly watching them with her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on here heels.

“Hey, you’re the one that’s been following us!”

Kiba called out, his nose picking up the elusive scent that he had been trying so hard to track down. Irritated, he watched as the woman giggled at him and flipped him off. She then returned her hand behind her back.

“No shit Sherlock. Took you long enough to figure it out. Now, pretty boy, just tell me where Sasuke is and I won’t make your death too painful.”

Kankuro snorted and stepped forward. “What makes you think we know where he is?”

The girl sauntered closer and Kiba immediately stepped in front of Hinata and drew his gun. Pulling back the hammer, he pointed it at the girl and stood his ground. Hinata peeked over at the girl from the side of his shoulder.

“Come any closer and I’ll shoot.”

His bangs fell into his eyes as the rain pelted them from above. The girl simply moved closer. Stopping a few feet from them, she cocked her head and smirked. Staring right into Kiba’s sharp eyes, her smirked turned nasty and she scowled. Thunder flashed around them, creating menacing shadows everywhere.

“Tell me where he is, now. I don’t have time for bullshit. You’ve all been steadily traveling in one direction without straying no matter how many times you’ve stopped. I know you’re tracking him with something. Better yet, hand it over.”

Kankuro had his personal black Glock19 drawn and was pointing it at her too. “Fat chance, sweetheart. You’re outnumbered and outgunned.”

Overdramatically sighing, she shrugged.

“If you wanna do this the hard way, all you had to do was ask, you fucking dumbasses.”

She then withdrew her hands from behind her back and held them up. In each hand, she held small black cylinders. Kiba squinted, trying to discern what they were in the darkness. She then quickly leapt back and threw the first can at the ground. It clanged loudly against a rock and rolled to a stop. Instantaneously, the clearing they were in erupted in a flash of blindingly bright, hot light. A high pitch shrieking noise accompanied the flash, inundating the trio.

Crying out in shock and pain, Kiba couldn’t see. The bright light had blinded him. He couldn’t hear. The noise had deafened him. Stumbling on his feet, he could barely keep his balance. The world was a mass of white, black, and gray blurs with a sharp shrill ringing in his ears. Breathing heavily, he brought up his gun as a gray figure fuzzily made its way towards him. He struggled to keep it steady as he leaned from side to side as the world seemed to spin around him. Bit by bit, the ringing was subsiding and his vision was returning. The loud pattering of the rain slowly grew in volume and the white spots receded, leaving him in the darkness. Blinking heavily, he looked closer at his target and realized that he had been aiming at Kankuro who was holding on to a tree and rubbing his eyes, moaning. _Oh fuck, I could have killed him….Shit. Where’d she go?_

Behind him, Hinata was covering her ears and had her eyes closed. Kiba shoved his gun back in the holster and made his way over to her, swaying dangerously. His sense of balance was fucked. Hinata opened her eyes and squinted. She looked really pale.

“Hinata. Oi, Hinata!”

Kiba called out, his own voice sounding weak and muffled. Alarmed, he watched as she swayed on her feet and passed out, falling to the ground.

“Hinata!”

“I got her!”

Recovering quickly, Kankuro caught her before she fell to the ground. Right as he caught her, Kiba caught the scent of the girl again. She was just a few feet behind them, hiding in the rim of the trees.

“Oi, Kankuro, I know where she is, I’ll get her! You take care of Hinata!”

“Wait! Kiba!”

Kankuro contemplated leaving Hinata safely hidden behing a tree, but knew Kiba would kill him when he found out. _If_ he found out. The idiot would probably get himself killed. The girl was obviously armed with flash bangs and more than likely had more weapons hidden on her. Looking down at the limp body in his arms, Kankuro looked around.

“What do I do now?”

Taking off into the jungle, Kiba raced after the redhead. She was fast, but he was catching up quickly. The girl turned around while running and grinned at him.

“Gotta be faster than that, tattoo boy! Try and catch up, bitch!”

Getting riled, Kiba sped up, leaping over the smaller bushes and ran through the bigger ones. He narrowly missed getting tangled in the heavy vines everywhere and smacking into the rough trees around him. She was right in front of him now. He edged closer and leapt in the air, tackling her.

Screaming, Tayuya landed hard as Kiba threw her to the mud. Grunting, she immediately got up and ducked out of his reach. Jamming her hand into her coat she pulled out another can. Yanking out the pin, she chucked it at the man. She quickly pulled on some goggles and covered her ears as best as she could.

The can split open, screaming as it released the piercingly white light and incredibly loud screech. Kiba saw the can and tried to protect himself, but he was too late. His sight and hearing were once again assaulted. This time, waves of nausea rolled over him as he fell to the ground. His eyes burned from the light and his ears stung from the noise. Fighting the loss of balance and sight, Kiba stood up on shaky legs and desperately tried to find her. Clinging to the nearby trees, he closed his eyes and ignored the deafening ring in his ears. Putting all of his concentration into his nose and not throwing up, Kiba gritted his teeth and forced his body to move towards the scent.

Tayuya saw the man get up and scowled in irritation. She was sure he should have been knocked out. _Fucking cheap ass cans_. Refusing to waste ammo on him, she bent down and picked up a thin, but sturdy tree branch. Wielding it like a baseball bat, she ran at him. Kiba faintly realized that she was getting closer. Taking a step, he stumbled and fell to a knee. Rocks all over the ground kept him from being able to walk properly since he could barely see.

Tayuya stepped up and swung. The man seemed to easily duck her attack. Skipping away, she noticed that he had his eyes closed and had his face pointed up. Her eyes widened as she realized he was sniffing her out. _Fuck, this prick’s annoying. I can’t spend more time with him, I have to get Sasuke and get out of this hell hole._

Kiba felt the hair on his head that refused to go down in the rain brush against something rough that whistled by. Instantly, he grasped that she was swinging something at him. He got lucky when he stumbled, otherwise he would have taken a hit to the stomach. The spots on his eyes and the harsh ringing were taking longer to subside, leaving him disoriented severely crippled. Suddenly, another can flew into his spotty vision. His eyes widened as it rolled to a stop at his feet. Very distinctly, he heard the girl speak.

“Try and find me now, bitch.”

The can burst opened and Kiba was immediately assailed by a stinging sharp smell invading his nose. His eyes watered and involuntarily shut as his throat burned. Pepper! She had thrown a pepper grenade at him! Gagging and coughing, his entire head felt engulfed in the spicy scent. His eyes felt as if someone had shoved sand into his sockets. Tears streamed down his face and he hacked violently, his throat quickly going raw. Covering his face, he fell to his knees and groaned as the spice wreaked havoc with his senses. Scared, he felt completely vulnerable as his nose ran, leaving him utterly defenseless. His right hand rubbed his eyes furiously as his left hand was planted against the ground, fisting the wet dirt as his face and skin burned.

“AH, FUCK! MY EYES!”

Kiba howled out, intense pain wracking his head.

Breathing through a mask, Tayuya once again swung the stick, this time making contact. The branch connected with the side of the man’s face. Satisfied, she smirked as the loud crack resonated around her and the man fell to the side, clutching his head.

“Gah!”

“Aw, did that hurt? Let me make it better.”

She brought the branch down as hard as she could. It slammed into the ground and hurt her hands. Surprised, she watched as the man could still move fast enough, the man rolled out of the way and crawled back, away from her. His eyes were still clenched shut and blood was seeping down the side of his face. 

“Stop fucking moving, dammit!”

Kiba got to his feet as fast as he could blindly. His head screamed in pain as he tried to get his bearings. Knowing he was an easy target, he needed to hide until he was able to recover. But with the bitch trying to take him out, and his inability to smell, hear, and see, he doubted he’d get far. Still, escape sounded better than getting the shit beaten out of him. Forcing his watery eyes open, he looked at a blurry world of dark green and black. His eyes darted around, looking for the girl. She was making her way to him quickly. He vaguely saw that she had a stick in her right hand and was reaching in to her jacket with her left hand. _Jesus Fuck! How many of those damn cans does she have!?_

Taking a chance, he dove away and into the jungle. Luckily, he avoided any trees and managed to successfully roll away. Wiping his eyes and nose, he took off, trying to get away before he was attacked by the pepper bombs and flash bangs again. Nearly slipping on the wet leaves coating the ground, he stumbled and blindly ran through the jungle, leaving Tayuya far behind.

“HEY! Get your ass back here, you asshole!”

Giving chase, Tayuya sprinted after him. She wasn’t going to let him get away.

**xXx**

Neji gazed over the aircraft once more, his pale eyes noting every detail. There were no signs of movement in or around it. Having watched it carefully for over 10 minutes, he concluded that it was empty. Slowly coming out of the darkness of the jungle he and his team had been hiding in, he brought up his hand and waved it forward once. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his teammates nod and proceed. Keeping his weapon ready, he kept low to the ground and quickly made his way over to the wheels of the plane. Dropping on one knee, he swept the area with the gun, making sure that he had alerted no one.

Then bringing out a flash light, he held it close to the gun’s barrel, making sure he was noticing everything. Rain felt down hard, obscuring much of his field of vision. He was closely followed by Ten Ten and Lee. The trio expertly maneuvered over to the plane’s underside and looked for a way in. Usually, some private owned planes had secret doors leading into the plane. They were mainly used as emergency exits, and were a perfect way to get in secretly, or great for loading in cargo. Locating its general area, Neji motioned his team over. Once they were all together, he pointed out a small pad of numbers nearly perfectly camouflaged under the plane. He lightly traced around the pad, feeling for an indentation or crevice that would signify the location of the door.

“It’s a keypad lock system. Holds…nine different digits in four combination slots. That’s 9,000 to 10,000 possible codes.”

Neji mused, rubbing his chin as he stared at the lock. There were multiple ways of opening the door besides putting in the actual code, but they needed to do it quickly and quietly.

“We don’t have time for that. Can we blow it up? Shoot it open?”

Lee reached over and ran his hand over the numbers, trying to feel if any of them felt more worn than the others.

Ten Ten rolled her eyes. “Lee, that kind of negates the fact that we’re supposed to be quiet.”

Neji brought his flashlight to the pad and stared hard at the numbers. Getting an idea, he turned to his team mates.

“Lee, see if you can climb up and find the hatch. Ten Ten, can you hack the lock?”

Ten Ten looked at the lock and furrowed her eyes. Wiping rain from her forehead, she shrugged. “I can try, but I’m not entirely sure.” Dropping to one knee, she pulled out a small cloth wrapped package from the chest pocket of her fatigues. Unveiling it, she revealed a set of smalls silver tools neatly strapped into the cloth. Selecting a few of the silver tools, she stood up and walked over to the pad. Standing in front of the lock, she partially blocked Neji’s view. She slid the tools under the keypad, forcing them in when they got stuck. She began to pry up the base of the pad, exposing the circuitry underneath. Deciding it was best to leave her alone and do a perimeter check instead, Neji stealthily circled the aircraft.

It was a SyberJet SJ30, capable of holding six people, including a pilot. Its sleek, black body stood out in stark contrast with the green surrounding them. It took up only a small bit of space compared to many other planes. _Small, but fast._ Slightly annoyed at the heavy waterfall, he flicked his long hair from his face and stepped back, trying to see Lee. Blinking heavily as the rain fell in his eyes, he saw his partner on the plane’s roof. Lee was carefully shimmying from the roof to one of the wings, trying to find the hatch. Locating it but unable to pry it open in anyway, he cautiously maneuvered himself down and dropped a couple of feet to the ground, landing on his feet like a cat. Hearing a high pitched beeping noise, Neji turned away from Lee and headed over to where the noise came from.

Ten Ten popped out from under the plane, a wide smile on her face as she stood in front of Neji. Holding up a hand, she grinned as she presented the completely pried off keypad with wires jutting out on the bottom. Holding up her other hand, she made a “V” with her pointer and middle finger.

“I got it open.”

Nodding his head in approval, Neji watched as the door at the base of the plane slowly descended, revealing the dark inside of the cabin. Tweaking some of the wires from the whole she had created, Ten Ten managed to get a few lights to flicker on. The door hissed as it opened wider. The noise sounded abnormally loud amidst the thunder and rain. Neji cautiously stepped to the side and held up his gun, ready for a fight. Although he had seen no one yet, it was still possible that the people would be laying in ambush. Uneasily, he noted that no one came out. Lee nudged him.

“No one came out. What do you think is going on?”

Neji grimaced and placed a foot on the steps the newly lowered door provided. 

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”

**xXx**

Clutching his wounded shoulder, Kakashi dodged down and plastered himself behind a tree. Breathing heavily, he pressed against the tree. Using it as a shield, he winced has he felt the warm blood seep out and drip through his fingers from his gunshot wound. Rainwater leaked into the wound, causing a new round of stinging pain. Gritting his teeth, he evaluated his situation. He was alone in a jungle with a crazy man with a gun. Weaponless and injured, he was being hunted by the angry freak, whose brother he had unintentionally murdered. Visibility was low with all of the rain and darkness surrounding them, and it took effort to hear anything over the constant barrage of rain and thunder filling the air.

Reaching under his black fatigues, he grabbed hold of his wife beater, bunched it up in his hand, and ripped off a long strip. He hadn’t brought any medical equipment with him, nor was he skilled in how to dress wounds. He would have to make do with what he had. Balling up the fabric, he gritted his teeth and pressed the material down on the wound hard. Awkwardly holding in place, he grunted in pain. The shirt scrap soon began to feel damp. Knowing it wasn’t a good idea to stay in one spot for so long, he pushed himself gingerly off of the tree and began to trek forward. Hopefully he wasn’t loosing too much blood.

Sakon decimated the branches on the ground as he stomped around. Coming to a stop at the same tree where Kakashi had just been, he wiped off the tears streaming down his face and cursed loudly. Wiping his nose on the rough material of his clothes, he kicked a small rock out of his way.

“WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU SONOFABITCH!? I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!”

Screaming as loud as he could, he felt confident that the man had heard him through the rain and thunder. He wanted the bastard scared. He wanted the man to run for his life. He was in control; he was the hunter searching for his prey. For his brother’s life, he would take the man’s. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. A slight coppery smell was barely perceptible as he tracked the man. He knew he had shot him; the blood trail did not lie.

“COME OUT HERE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

More tears of pain and fury dripped down his face, running in with the rain steadily running down his face.

Jogging achingly, Kakashi flinched as each step he took jarred his wound. He needed to keep going; the twin was catching up to him. Suddenly, static flared up from his ear piece.

“Kakashi! Where the hell are you?!”

Surprised, Kakashi touched the ear piece and paused. “Iruka?”

“I’m completely lost and hearing gunshots, what’s going on? Has anyone found Naruto and Sasuke yet? They’re not responding.”

Grunting as he pressed harder on his wound to staunch the flow of blood, Kakashi spoke through gritted teeth. “No, I haven’t heard from anyone either. Where are you? Any major land markings you can use to describe your location?”

“Well, I’m in a tree….Kakashi, are you alright?”

Iruka stopped climbing across branches and held on tight as not to fall. Kakashi sounded out of breath and was speaking strangely. He worry increased as the taller man took longer than usual to respond.

“I’m fine. Just a little …tired..”

Eyes narrowing, Iruka renewed his efforts to try and find the man. Carefully hiking from tree to tree, he looked around, trying to see if he could something as a reference to where he was. Unfortunately, all he saw was a sea of trees around him. Green waves rippled with rain; the wind began to pick up, forcing Iruka to climb on the lower branches as not to fall off.

“Hey, are you sure? You sound as if you’re in pain.”

Iruka bit his lip nervously. Something was telling him to get to the man quickly, but not knowing where he was, how could he?

“Nah, I’m oka-…Ah fuck-.”

The twin had caught up. In blind rage he tackled Kakashi to the hard ground.

As if in slow motion, Kakashi turned around and watched as the man launched himself forward, gun held high. Letting go of his shoulder, Kakashi took a step back to steady himself and brought both hands up, ready to fight for the gun. Iruka spoke in his ear, but his focus was on the man charging at him.

Crashing into the man, Sakon grunted as he they landed hard. Angry, he noticed that the silver-haired man had managed to get a grip on his weapon.

“LET GO MOTHERFUCKER!”

Sakon cried out, pulling as hard as he could. Uselessly trying to free the weapon, he gave back and reached behind himself. Stunned, Kakashi was shocked as he pulled the gun away easily. Relief flowed into him as he thought he held the upper hand now. His relief was short lived as something silver arched above him and shone in the light the lighting provided. It was a huge hunting knife.

Bringing the knife down as hard as he could, Sakon used his height advantage to push the blade down towards Kakashi’s chest.

Kakashi’s shoulder screamed in pain as he tried to grab onto the man’s wrist. The blade turned and slashed at his arm, letting his blood flow freely. Ignoring the pain, he reached again and clutched the arm with both hands, pushing up as much as he could. Unable to get the knife away, it slowly dipped lower and lower, now scraping the skin of his neck. Swallowing, he felt the blade nip his skin lightly.

Sakon leaned up and shoved the blade down, using his body weight as leverage. Kakashi’s injured arm began to wane in strength as his shoulder ached in agony. The new slice on his arm didn’t help. Not able to push it away, he managed to twist the blade slightly to the side. The blade moved and grinded against his collar bone painfully, releasing more of the precious crimson liquid. Drawing up as much strength as he could, he planted his feet against the ground and shoved his body up, unbalancing the man above him. He let go of the knife and placed his hands on the man’s chest, trying to heave him off.

Sakon pitched forward, but held his ground. Once more, he brought the knife up and slammed it down. Eyes widening, Kakashi watched as the blade streaked through the air and headed to his stomach. All at once, the knife was gone and so was the knife’s owner. Blinking in surprise, Kakashi noticed a new person had joined the fray. The person turned towards him and grabbed his shoulders, yanking him up.

“C’mon Kakashi, he’s still alive!”

Kiba was speckled with blood and his clothes were all torn. He reeked of pepper and wet dirt. Completely soaked and exhausted, he spit out something that was in his mouth. Pulling Kakashi to his feet, he noticed the man was bleeding heavily.

“Oh fuck, you’re hit. Jesus, this is getting out of hand fast. Everyone’s been split up and nobody’s fucking answering. Where’s Iruka?”

Kakashi shook his head, and brought his hand up to his shoulder. His shirt was soaked with his blood.

“I lost him a while back. He’s okay, thought. He managed to communicate with me before this fucker found me.”

Glancing around the clearing, they noticed that the man was nowhere to found. He was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had forgotten how dramatic this shit was. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	24. Things are Heating Up Fast. When Will It End?

Kidomaru's head shot up as he heard screams and gunshots. Gazing around the jungle, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Having been wandering around for a long time in peaceful silence, he automatically veered away from the screams and shots to avoid any confrontation. He didn't know what was happening, so it was best not to go near that area. Besides, it wasn't his fight. At least not yet. Let most of them kill each other before he steps in and gets the job done. Climbing on top of a large fallen tree, he scoped out the area and nonchalantly walked the length of the trunk before hopping off.

Humming to an annoying pop song that got stuck in his head, he spotted an excellent tree for climbing. Grabbing on to the rough, thick lower branches that grew a little below his chest level, he yanked himself up and stuck a leg up. Maneuvering around, he managed to sit on the branch and carefully get to his feet. Grinning with excitement and exhilaration, he climbed higher. He was never meant for some stupid stuffy office in the middle of a crowded city with an asshole of a boss.

He loved the outdoors, wet or dry, hot or cold. He thrived out here and now he was in his element. Reaching into his pack, he brought out a pair of dark gloves. Slipping them on, he flexed out his fingers and tightened the straps at the base of his wrists. The pads of the fingers had minuscule hooks that were specially made for climbing. Grabbing on the slippery branches with a sturdier grip, he began to move faster, almost carelessly jumping from tree to tree.

After a while, his arm muscles began to complain. Pausing his fun, he stopped to give his arms a break and to dry off a bit. His clothes had become saturated with cold rain and he was getting heavier. His fingers had begun to loose feeling with the cold and it would be dangerous to continue in. Bringing them to his mouth, he huffed on them, trying to warm them up. Glancing around, he squinted as he tried to see what was up ahead.

The thunderstorm had increased in ferocity and was now letting waterfalls of rain to fall from the sky. The roar of the raindrops exploding against leaves and splattering to the ground made it impossible to tell if anyone was nearby. The once lush, vibrant green atmosphere had transformed into a mass of gray and black shadows, with occasional flashes of white as lighting split the sky. This worked for and against him. On one hand, he was extremely well concealed, but on the other, so were the others. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands as not to claw his eyes out, he blinked rapidly as he thought he saw small specks of light coming from an area not too far from him.

The lights stayed put, rather than traveling as a flashlight being held would. _Is it a camp site? A base?_ Clenching and releasing his fists, he shook them to increase the blood flow. Painfully slow, he began to regain feeling and soon felt confident that he could continue. Curiosity driving him, he made his way closer to the lights. He switched to the lower branches with more leaves and stealthily hunted down the beams.

As he got closer, he noticed that the lights were a sort of clearing, meaning there was going to be a break in coverage. Slowing down, he realized he was going in empty-handed. Feeling slightly foolish for not thinking clearly, he slipped a frozen hand into his pants and pulled out a knife. Although he preferred to keep a gun out, he couldn't very well have one hand otherwise occupied as he clung on to the tree branches with the other. Bringing the blade to his face he turned the sharp edge away from him and, he bit onto the handle, clamping his teeth down securely.

He then lowered himself completely to the wet ground, forgoing his initial idea to stay in the trees. Careful not to step and break any branches, though he doubted anyone could have heard them, he removed the knife from his mouth and crawled forward and shoved his way into some bushes lining the clearing. Wiping muck from his face, he finally saw what the lights had been.

In the middle of the area, there was a white and gray plane. The large wings spanned the clearing, with the cockpit facing far right. Grimacing, he noted that it wasn't the plane he had arrived in _. It must be the enemy plane. But why are the lights on? Are they still inside?_ Musing, he carefully watched the lighted portions of the plane for movement. He noticed two figures that were constantly walking back and forth, passing by the window portals every few minutes.

One of the dark silhouettes was thinner than the other with a larger chest and long hair, indicating that it was more than likely a female. The other was taller and a bit more built, with equally long hair. Besides those two, he didn't notice anyone else. _This is….perfect_. Getting giddy with excitement, he maneuvered closer, circling the airplane like a predator, while still maintaining a good distance for safety. Eyeing the aircraft cautiously and with a devious grin smeared on his face, he planned out his next moves.

"Time to have some fun."

Pulling off his rucksack, he plopped it down on a pile of soggy leaves and leaned back on his haunches and began to search through it. He removed a thick roll of silver duct tape and placed it on the ground by his right foot. He then tugged out a packet of long, looped multicolored wires with slender silver cylinders at the ends. Placing that next to the tape, he tugged out his final item. Thick, brick-like yellowish blocks packed neatly together. Each was wrapped in a thin white paper with the words "PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE: DANGER". Setting the blocks down on the rucksack, he yanked off the paper.

His fingers fumbled around in the dark as he reached down to pick up the packet of wires. Untying the strings keeping the wires tidily in place, he yanked one loose and stabbed it into one of the bricks. He repeated this process with the other blocks, making sure the blasting caps were snugly inside the unit of C-4. In total, he had three blocks, miles of blasting caps, and several lighters. Grinning, he stuck on another set of blasting caps for good measure. Standing up, he yanked on the sack and a bent down to pick up the explosives and the roll of tape. Turning back to the plane, he made sure that he was well hidden in the shadows and began to venture out into the clearing. Using the dark of the storm as cover, he stealthily made his way underneath the plane wings, near where the fuel tanks were.

Biting off a strip of the tape, he slapped it onto the explosive and stuck it underneath the left wing of the plane. Moving to the right, he repeated this on the right wing, all the while keeping an eye on where the plane occupants were. He placed the last brick right under where the cabin would be. Taking out one of the neon colored lighters, he quickly went around and lit the fuses. He had left a long strip of the blasting cap out so as to be able to get to safety in time and find a good place to enjoy the view. With the amount he had left, he took a few moments to take in all that was about to happen and to appreciate his handiwork. _Stupid bastards are none the wiser. They'll never know what hit 'em._ Chuckling to himself, he waited.

The small spark of fire traveled up the thread slowly, leaving behind the charred remains of the once colorful string. Slowly, it neared the actual cap, ready to set off a dangerous chemical reaction that would incinerate anything nearby.

**xXx**

Entering the cabin cautiously, Neji went in first. Crouching down slightly, he kept his eyes wide open for any suspicious ideas and figures. The lights flickered on and let out a quiet buzz as the cabin was washed in bright light. The interior was spacious; several groups of seats sat along the walls, with small tables bolted to the plane floor. A videogame console was precariously on one of the small tables with the connecting cables and power cords crisscrossing on the soft carpet. The controller lay a few feet away. Cans of soda littered the ground, along with cigarette butts and the occasional empty chip bag. The tan seats were all facing in different directions, with crumbs of food and other various snacks decorating them.

Neji walked past the mess, carefully taking in any and everything. Keeping his gun out and ready, he noticed that Ten Ten and Lee had followed him in.

"This place looks nice, but it sure is a mess. Ugh."

Ten Ten grimaced as she saw the mess the occupants had left. Lee had begun to rifle through the cabinets near the tail end of the plane and was adding to the mess by throwing everything out. Ten Ten rolled her eyes. _Oh boy._ Pausing, Lee turned to his teammates and tapped his earpiece.

"We haven't heard from Kakashi or Itachi in a long time. Do you think something could have happened?"

Neji shrugged. Turning around, he ventured closer to the closed sections of the plane: the cockpit.

"The storm more than likely has begun to interfere with communication capabilities. The lightning is charging the air and disrupting the radio waves. Either that or they're dead." Neji flicked wet hair from his forehead.

Lee contemplated this as he took up his rifling again. A gut feeling told him that he would be finding something very interesting.

Neji and Tenten stood at the small door. They're eyes meet and Ten Ten nodded. Neji then slammed his fist down on the opening mechanism and shoved the door open. Aiming slightly above chest level, he pointed his gun around the small room, sweeping it for danger. Ten Ten had dropped low and had aimed for lower targets. Upon finding none, she popped to her feet and followed Neji in.

The controls were all glowing greens, yellows and reds. The primary flight display screens were blinking on; the navigation controls were all flicked down with the systems information screen glowing neon green. The throttle levers were all locked in place, with the smaller buttons near them were flashing yellow. The pilot and co-pilot seats sat empty, with the headsets carelessly tossed in them.

Ten Ten hummed and looked at all the advanced shiny technology. Grinning, she whistled low in appreciation. The plane was equipped with the best of the best. Maybe money couldn't buy happiness, but it sure bought some nice toys. Neji reached over the pilot seat and flicked up a couple of the switches and pushed up the throttle lever. At once, the plane's engines whirred to life and began to roar, gradually getting louder and louder. He quickly shut it down.

"It's still functional, so I'm guessing they went off to get Sasuke, and then retreat back here and get away."

"Pretty stupid to leave it out in the open like this, knowing that we were coming." Tenten picked up a headset and inspected it before tossing it back into the seat. "We found it, so where does that leave them now?"

Neji frowned. "They didn't know we were coming. I'm sure we took them by surprise. The pilot probably left to help speed up the search, otherwise, he would've most likely stayed behind on the plane."

Tenten turned to the group leader. "What do we do then? Leave it alone and continue to search for Sasuke, or…?"

Neji let out a small smile. "We leave it incapable of flight. If worse comes to worse, at least they can't get away."

Ten Ten grinned and gazed around the pit. She rubbed her cold nose and looked back up at the tall brunette. "And what do you have in mind to get the job don-"

"I'll do it!"

A strong shout came out from behind them. Dodging out of the way on instinct and having learned to steer clear of Lee when he yelled, Ten Ten and Neji thrust their bodies to the sides of the cockpit. Rotating like a wind mill, something came whirring past them and buried itself deep in the panel of controls and screens with a loud boom. The whole system screeched with the sound of dislodged wires sparking and broken glass as poofs of smoke sprouted. Some of the lights flickered and burned out, while others managed to stay on. Amidst the ruined controls and dissipating smoke, there was a long black handle jutting out.

Tenten jumped up and smacked Lee on the back of his head as he entered the cockpit.

"Give us at least a warning, you idiot! You could have decapitated us!"

Lee bowed his head and apologized profusely. Ten ten rolled her eyes and scolded him some more before turning to see the destruction he had caused.

"At least it was sort of effective." Securing her gun in the holster, she reached over and planted both hands on the handle. Tugging with all her might, she couldn't move it an inch.

"Allow me!"

Lee grabbed onto the handle once she let go and planted a foot against the metal surrounding the handle. Grunting, he heaved the heavy axe loose and cocked it over his shoulder.

Neji clapped him on the shoulder and went to walk out of the small room. It was getting crowded and he didn't want to be in there when Lee would follow his orders.

"Take care of the rest, make sure nothing is left on or functional. Tenten, come on. We'll search for supplies."

Ten Ten followed the taller man out and shut the door when she hear Lee begin to go to town. She winced when the sounds of glass breaking began.

"What do we need supplies for? We're well equipped with everything we need and more."

Neji nodded. "Yes, but leaving anything here would mean Orochimaru's henchmen having it. I don't doubt that they'd return to the plane if the needed to restock."

"Okay then."

Bit by bit, they turned the plane upside down, searching and destroying anything they deemed useful. Lee left the cockpit after a while with bits of metal stuck in his hair and a wide grin on his face. A peek behind him would reveal a mass of ripped and shredded wires embedded in loose pieces of mutilated metals and plastics. It was left unrecognizable and absolutely irreparable.

Neji surveyed the rest of the plane and was satisfied with the results.

"Let's head off. We've wasted enough time as it is and we still have to find Sasuke."

The others nodded and quickly followed him. A couple more strikes with the axe on the panels near the back of the plane and the lights were taken care of. Exiting the plane and trekking into the jungle carefully, they were back in the game.

**xXx**

Garra silently gazed around his surroundings. His green eyes carefully analyzed everything and he stayed stock still as he looked around. He was completely alone in the dark and stormy jungle. He had ducked and weaved through the thick trees, making sure that he would lose the man hunting them. He had attempted to follow his teammates, but both Temari and Shikamaru had gone off in different directions, leaving him to follow his own. Staying low to the ground, he had both of his guns out and cocked and ready. Sniffing as his nose was becoming painfully cold, he tightened his grip on the weapons. His hands were going numb and stiff. Thankfully, most his running around and jumping was keeping him mildly warm in the frigid rain. His vibrant red hair was plastered to his skin, parting right where he had his tattoo on his forehead above his right eye.

Hearing gunshots and screaming, he walked slowly, listening. Suddenly, in an area far from him, bright flashes of light erupted. Wincing at the flashes of the brilliant light that penetrated between the trees, Gaara cautiously began to venture closer. Closing the distance quickly, he became aware of having a shadow trailing after him. He couldn't clearly see it, but as soon as he moved, it imitated him and darted out of its hiding spot, only to quickly find a new one and become hidden. Glancing out of his peripherals, he noticed that the silhouette had both hands free and was quite agile. Not a sound came from him that he could hear over the constant barrage of rain. Freezing, Gaara watched the shadow move closer, slowly gaining on him. Silently holstering on of his guns, Gaara reached down and patted the wet ground. Sifting through the muck, his fingers came across a palm-sized stone. Palming it, he moved.

Spinning on his heel, Gaara swung around and dropped low. He chucked the rock as hard as he could at the shadow and moved out of its line of sight. He had aimed for mid-chest to simply find out who it was and what they wanted. He has subtly let the person following him that he had perfect aim and was capable of making an excellent shot even while shrouded by darkness.

"Christ, ow!"

Startled at the familiar voice, Gaara warily stood up. He walked closer to the person, watching as they came into view.

Shikamaru rubbed at his chest and grinned at Gaara.

"Didn't think you had seen me."

Gaara simply stared at him. Realizing that he had only noticed one shadow tailing him, Gaara peered around them, searching for another.

"…Where is Temari?"

Shikamaru shook his head. Still rubbing the spot on his sternum, he turned and looked at the jungle behind him.

"I haven't found her, or anyone. You're the only other person I've seen since we were separated."

Gaara sighed and pushed the red strands out of his eyes.

"I've yet to see anyone too, though I suppose you know that seeing as you've been following me."

Gaara looked over at his team mate and tilted his head, asking a silent question. Shikamaru shrugged.

"I didn't know it was you at first. I realized it was when the flashing over there started." He turned his face to where the bright light had come from. "You were heading over there, weren't you?"

Gaara nodded once. "I heard screaming. It sounded like Kiba."

Chewing his bottom lip worriedly, Shikamaru scratched his head.

"If it was Kiba, then we better hurry. The more of us there are, the more of a chance we stand. The way it is now, we're in way over our heads."

Straightening up, Gaara flexed his fingers on his left hand. He'd been holding his gun for so long his fingers had developed the grooved markings of the handle onto his palm.

"Any injures?"

Shikamaru shook his head.

"Just my pride from having run and left a girl all on her own."

"Temari can take care of herself."

Gaara stated, knowing no one fiercer than his older sister. She was tenacious to the point of being as stubborn as a bull and twice as mean.

Shikamaru grinned. "Yea, I know."

Taking off, both of them raced to the area where they had last seen the lights. Hoping to find the others, they moved quickly.

**xXx**

Itachi slowed to a stop as his lungs were painfully contracting in his chest. The cold air was freezing his throat and half of his body was numb. His clothes offered no protection as the icy rain had seeped down and thoroughly soaked him to the bone. His long black hair was stuck to his face, along with small bits of green leaves and dirt. Shivers ran though his body as he forced himself to go on. Something was telling him he would be finding his dearest little brother soon. Sneezing, he sniffed rubbed his red nose. Thunder roared above him, vibrating the air and shaking the trees.

Grunting heavily, he maneuvered around thick trees with heavy vines binding them together. Being careful as not to get tangled in them, he skillfully ducked and dodged the hanging ropes of vegetation and the thorny plants that seemed to grow from everywhere. He could barely hear anything with the constant patter of rain on the leaves and the bellowing of the thunderstorm. He was mostly using the lighting that periodically flashed to see, but would keep to the shadows as not to be seen. Finding the initial path he had been wandering down blocked, he ventured around, careful not to stray. This was the direction Kabuto was going, so it was his best bet at the moment.

"-SUKE! Oi!"

Startled by a foreign voice that seemed impossibly close by, Itachi acted on instinct. Jamming his hand down onto his weapon holster, he freed his gun and leapt out towards the voice. Spying the dark figure stumbling through the dense foliage a few feet in front of him, he sprinted over fearlessly and slammed into it. Taking the person by surprise, he sunk his knee into their stomach and brought his elbow down on their back, successfully winding them. The person fell to the ground, gasping and cursing loudly. Itachi stepped backwards and pulled back the hammer and aimed. _Time to interrogate_.

"Jesus, f-fuck!"

Naruto groaned as his body cried out in pain. The aches blossomed from his tender stomach and his upper back. Something had just been brutally shoved into his stomach and his back. His whole body was now in varying waves of pain and discomfort. Coughing as he rolled over onto his back, he glared at the person that had run into him. He couldn't see much, but he did manage to make out that the person was taller than him and had something in his hand. Lightning flashed brilliantly, giving him a chance to see the person's face clearly. Shock froze him, but it was soon replaced with confusion as he cocked his head, momentarily forgetting his aches.

"Sasuke?"

The person looked eerily like the raven, except his hair was longer and he had two distinct furrows deep on his face. His eyes were startlingly cold and empty. The man appeared older and a helluva lot scarier than anything the teme could manage.

"No, you're not Sasuke. Who the fuck are you?!"

Naruto scooted back, finally registering that the person was armed and he wasn't. As soon as he'd been hit, he had let go of Sakura's gun in favor of not face planting into the muddy ground beneath his feet.

Itachi reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders. Shaking him roughly, Itachi brought their faces close together.

"You said Sasuke. Where is he?"

Naruto struggled against the man, trying to get loose.

"I'm not telling you anything! Who are you? What do you want with him?"

Itachi studied the smaller man. It dawned on him that the person remarkably looked like the Naruto kid Iruka kept talking about. The picture Ino showed him flashed in his mind as he continued to stare intimidatingly down at the blonde. His head tilted ever so slightly to the right.

"Naruto?"

The blonde's head shot up and his azure eyes comically widened.

"Hey, how do you know who I am?"

Itachi stood up and stepped away from Naruto, allowing him to get up.

"I'll ask once more, where is Sasuke?"

Naruto glared up at the taller man. _How does he know my name? Where did he come from? Why does he want Sasuke?_ Rubbing his stomach, Naruto gingerly got to his feet. All of his previous injures decided to speak up and be heard as he moved. Grunting as fresh jabs of pain assaulted him, Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me who you are and what you want." Naruto determinedly held the man's stare, struggling not to look away from the icy stare directed towards him.

Itachi pressed his lips together in a tight line irritably. He had no patience for this.

"My name is of no concern to you. Now, do you know where my little brother is or not?"

_Little brother? Oh, that explains the resemblance. But how did he get here? Doesn't he know that Sasuke is with Kabuto and his probably gone?_ Miffed at the cold tone, Naruto answered in a clipped tone.

"He was with a guy named Kabuto. He and a girl named Sakura came and split us up. I managed to get rid of her, but I don't know where Sasuke is. He- "

"Kabuto is dead."

Surprised, Naruto took a step back. Itachi then looked around the forest, starting off in the direction he had been previously following.

"Wait, what do you mean he's dead? Then, where is Sasuke?"

Noticing the man begin to leave, Naruto decided to follow him. The man, obviously, wasn't going to hurt him, aside from what he already did, and he was Sasuke's brother. He stood a better chance following him than wandering alone and lost. He caught up and stayed near his right side.

Itachi nearly rolled his eyes.

"If I'm questioning you on his whereabouts, what is the point of asking me?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. _Oh yeah._

"How do you know Kabuto is dead? If you haven't seen him, then you don't' know. You saw him, so you must know something."

Itachi stopped walking and turned to the blond. He leaned over him, using his height to intimidate. Fixing a frosty glare on his face, he pierced Naruto with a hard gaze and a cold smirk.

"I know he's dead because I killed him."

**xXx**

Sitting on a fallen log with her shirt ripped, Temari bandaged her left knee as best as she could. Wincing as pain shot up her leg, she deftly tied the cloth from her shirt tightly around the damaged area, binding it to be immobile. Along with it, and in order to speed up the healing and keep her from injuring it further, she had fastened two slightly thick branches to each side of her leg. They were secured above, at, and under her wounded knee. Gritting her teeth, she applied more pressure to stem the thick flow of blood leaking out.

"Well, this is what I get for letting my guard down."

Running in straight path away from the rolling rock and its large friend had not been the brightest of ideas. She had managed to get away from the giant stone coming after her, but had taken a nasty fall down a ravine and had landed badly on her knee on some jagged rocks at the bottom. She had ended up slicing her knee open and it was bleeding profusely. Standing up and obstinately ignoring the severe pain from her leg, she had continued on, fighting to stay away from the man until she regrouped with the others. Finally, after her leg giving out for the sixth time, she sat down to mend it as best she could before she did any irreversible damage.

Scoffing she gingerly got to her feet. Taking a couple steps, she nearly cried out as sharp bolts of pain responded to her attempts to walk.

"Shit, it's probably broken. Damn it, Itachi better give me some serious overtime for this."

Clenching her teeth, she soldiered on, refusing to sit around and wait for help. Taking small breaks once in a while, she noticed screaming and gunfire coming from a direction not too far from herself. Knowing she was vulnerable, she steered clear, irritably hoping to find the others before anything else happened. Chances were the other people also wearing bullet-proof vests and were more than likely better equipped.

"This was supposed to be a simple extraction mission, with little to no danger. How the hell did it resort to this?"

Tapping her earpiece for the millionth time, she ripped it out of her ear and crushed it. It emitted pure static; it was useless. Throwing it to the ground, she froze as she heard voices coming towards her. Carefully and as silently as she could, she inched her way behind a tree, leaning on it to relieve pressure on her leg. She shivered as cold winds shook the trees around her, freezing her already icy skin. Peeking over the edge, she vaguely made out two figures. One appeared to be leaning over constantly and the other kept glancing around. Turning back around before they noticed her, she took out a gun, leaving its twin behind. If she was apprehended and he weapon taken, she always had a backup. Listening intently, she tried to make out what the muffled voices were saying and who they were. _Two men. One is injured? ..Run? Run from who? Who are they?_ The voiced closed the distance, coming closer and closer.

"I guess I'm about to find _out_."

The second the figures came close enough, Temari pushed herself off the tree and stood in their way, gun held high and trained on the silhouettes. Lighting flashed, illuminating the area. The figures were still in the denser portions of the jungle, hidden in the shadows of the trees while she was fully exposed in the light. Feeling second thoughts about her decision, she nevertheless held her ground, adopting a threatening stance.

"Don't move."

She growled, her finger hovering on the trigger. She aimed at one of the figures, then moved it slightly, pinning it on the other, keeping them well within her range.

"Wait, don't shoot!"

"Temari, stop!"

The familiar voices called out to her. Now that they was closer, she could clearly make out who they were. She lowered her gun and limped over quickly.

"Kiba? Kakashi?"

They both came out of the shadows, coming clearly into her view. Kiba looked like he'd been through hell. His wild hair was matted with blood, leaves, dirt, and water and he had a bad gash on his cheek. The sneeze-inducing reek of pepper came off of him in waves and invaded her nose. Moving back a bit, and lifting a hand to rub at her nose, she turned her attention to Kakashi. He eyes widened as she took in his extensive injures. His upper left shoulder was inundated with blood and his pale skin was awash with it. He kept his hand pressed to it and he looked sickly pale in the grey light of the storm.

"Good God, what happened to you two?"

She immediately put her weapon away and moved closer, heading towards Kakashi.

"I was split up from Hinata and Kankuro while I was chasing down a girl who attacked us when I came onto Kakashi duking it out with some guy. He's been shot, and he has a pretty bad slice on his collar bone. His arm is okay, but it needs stitches."

Kakashi grimaced as Temari tentatively poked at his wounds. Whistling in awe, she stepped back. He painfully shrugged and tried to pass it off as a mere inconvenience.

"It's just a couple of scratches and a bullet wound. A couple of stitches should do the trick. That, and some alcohol."

Temari looked skeptically up at the silver-haired man. They needed to get him to a hospital, _fast_.

"You're going to need so many stiches; you'll look like the Frankenstein monster. If its alcohol you want, I know where Itachi keeps it. Hell, I could use a couple shots right now."

Kiba looked down and noticed her leg. Wincing, he noticed how something looked off about its position.

"What happened to your leg? Did you fall down?"

Temari grimaced and crossed her arms. She looked off to the side, a cross expression on her face.

"Something like that."

"We need to keep going. They others probably need us."

Kakashi said, straightening up. He clenched his teeth tightly as he moved his left arm around, trying to regain some mobility from the stiff limb.

Kiba nodded. "We need to find Sasuke and get the hell out of here."

"Oh don't worry, you won't need to find him, tattoo boy. That's my job."

All three of them froze as two new figures stepped silently out of the shadows. Tayuya grinned at a horrified Kiba. Kakashi locked eyes with an eerily silent Sakon. His fingers twitched, aching to be armed, but he kept still. No sudden movements.

"Aw, where's the rest of your little group, girlie? Did I kill them already?"

A deep voice followed the duo. A large man with orange tufts of hair stepped out, chuckling wildly and staring directly at Temari as he moved closer.

"Did ya miss me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, I'm alive ;D


	25. And Boom Goes the Dynamite

Breathing heavily as his exhausted muscles cried out for oxygen and his chest heaved painfully, Sasuke inspected the dark jungle around him. Cursing, he stopped walking and pressed his lips together, tightly.

"Fuck, I think I'm going in circles. Goddammit."

Frustrated, he raked a hand though his cold, wet hair and shoved it out of his face as he glanced around, trying to see if he had indeed been going in circles. It had been a while since he'd left Kabuto and his searching for his blond had been fruitless. Once or twice, he was surprised to see some of Itachi's employees wandering around, looking for him. It hadn't taken long for them to come. More often than not, he also spotted strangers venturing around, calling out his name or simply mentioning it to one another. He avoided either of them at all costs. As much as he wanted to get the hell off the island, he wasn't doing it without his blonde. If they wanted to get off, Naruto came first. Shivering, he forced his way forward, maintaining the hope that he would find him soon. The weather was progressively getting worse, quickly becoming hazardous. It was worse than the time he and Naruto had been holed up in his shelter.

He ducked down reflexively as gunshots suddenly permeated the air and rang loudly. Readying his own weapon in case of attack with his heart pounding furiously in his ears, he hid behind the trees and glanced around, searching for the source. The bark bit into his back, irritating the scratches Naruto had clawed there. He leaned slightly off of it, making sure he was still hidden. He was basically naked and freezing to death. There was a little to no chance that he stood up against whoever it was that was hunting him, especially if they were actually prepared for traversing through a jungle. Making a quick decision, he decided to risk being exposed and run. Darting out from his hiding spot, he maneuvered carefully around trees and thick plants, hoping the loud roar of thunder and rain would hide his escape. He grimaced as sharp branches nicked him as he ran through the tree lines and winced as broken branches and rocks scraped his feet.

Plowing through the large ferns that covered most of the ground, he slid dangerously as his feet landed in slick mud. His arms pin wheeling for balance, he fell backwards and landed heavily on his back. Grunting, he winced as pain punched him in the ribs and stole his breath. His chest was severely sore from his fight with Kabuto and he hadn't recovered. Gently touching his ribcage, he winced as he felt a large welt right were his ribs stopped on his right side. _Is it broken? Bruised?_ Ignoring the pain, he lurched to his feet quickly and continued on, this time being more careful as to where he was stepping. Mud and leaves were caked on him, clinging on his wet skin and hair as he fruitlessly tried to shove them ff. After a few minutes, he deemed he had gone far away enough from the danger and stopped walking.

"Naruto!"

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out for the blond, hoping that he wasn't drawing too much attention to himself. As much as he appreciated the rain for masking his noises, he also disliked it since it kept others from hearing him, especially the one whom he was trying to find. He waited a few seconds before calling out again.

"Dobe!"

Coughing, he dropped his hands and bent down to pick up the gun he had placed near his feet. Watching the water droplets splash onto the smooth, polished steel, he inspected it closely. The gun's name was engraved on the side of the barrel. Running his fingers over it, he made out what was written. Sig Sauer. _With all the water around it, and most likely in it, will it still fire? Or is it just dead weight?_ He constantly had to be wary of dropping and forgetting it, since he had nowhere to hold onto it. It became an annoyance to keep having to safely put it somewhere as he did something that required the use of both of his hands. It would further be useless if it couldn't even fire. Clutching the black grip tightly in his right hand, he thumbed off the safety button. Deciding it could work as a bluff if it didn't work properly, he kept it and went on his way, wandering aimlessly in the vast jungle in search of his lover.

**XxX**

"Kakashi! What happened?!"

Hearing Kakashi being abruptly cut off, Iruka worriedly climbed out of the trees. "Kakashi, answer me!" Tapping the communication device furiously, he was rewarded with a blast of static for his efforts. _He's injured and in trouble. This island might have looked small from above, but from ground level it is an irritably confusing maze. Everywhere looks the same, creating the illusion of going in circles and being utterly lost. If only I had a compass or something…._. Landing on a patch of soft squishy mud, he froze as he heard the trees rustling unnaturally and the sound of heavy breathing coming from behind him. The rain had lessened a bit, slowing down to a quieter pitter-patter. Either they were in the eye of the storm, or it was slowly dissipating. Plastering himself against the tree, he anxiously waited for the person to expose him or herself. Upon hearing no more strange noises, he took a deep breath and ventured out from under the tree's protection. Seeing nothing, he quietly turned and stood very still as he locked eyes with another person who was walking by, a few mere feet from him. His eye brows furrowing, he vaguely realized that he recognized the person, but didn't know who it was. The person stared back, equally still and cautious. He appeared to be a young man, with dark hair and cold eyes. He was nearly naked except for some boxer shorts and absolutely drenched. His pale skin stood out in the darkness, making him easy to spot.

Sasuke stared at the person who had come out from behind a tree and surprised him. It was a tan man, around Kakashi's age, with a long scar cutting across his face on his nose and a ponytail. He was dressed in dark fatigues, same as the ones he saw the others wearing. Logic placed him on the good side, but Sasuke was still wary. The man was looking right back at him, an expression of surprise painted on his face that quickly morphed into curiosity. Sasuke noticed how easy it was to read his emotions, same as Naruto…

Iruka, tensely, leaned back. He was armed and could easily defend himself against a kid who looked like a drowned rat. Strangely, he wasn't attacking, just staring back. _Could he be one of the bad guys? Should I make the first move?_ Iruka cocked his head as it, finally, dawned on him who this was. It was the teen Kakashi was looking for, the one that crash landed with Naruto! It was Sasuke!

"Sasuke?"

He asked cautiously. There was always the off chance that he was wrong. The teen took a step back, eyeing Iruka warily. The tan man took it as confirmation, as he didn't deny it. Iruka smiled and enthusiastically glanced around, searching for the hyper blond he knew should be around. His smile slowly transformed into a frown as he was met with no sight of Naruto.

"Wait, if you're here, then where is Naruto?"

Surprised that the man knew Naruto, Sasuke relaxed his tense position. He had been, slowly, edging away, ready to leave or fight.

"How do you know Naruto?"

He questioned, suspiciously. The man looked as dejected as he felt at not seeing the blonde around.

"He's my son. And I'm here to get him back."

Iruka stated, clearly outlining his objective. It was progress that he'd found Sasuke, but he wasn't going anywhere without Naruto. Reaching up to use the earpiece, he quickly lowered his hand as he remembered that it wasn't working anymore.

"Son? Are you by any chance…Iruka?"

Intrigued that the teen knew his name, Iruka nodded. "Is he okay? Naruto, I mean. Itachi mentioned that there were people out to get you here on the island too and that we should team up and travel. He, Kakashi and I, were supposed to group up, but obviously, we were separated."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow up. "Itachi is here? And Kakashi?"

Iruka nodded again. "Everyone I met at the office is here. They're all looking for you."

"I've seen several of them, but I figured it was just a couple, not the entire group." _Its surprising that Itachi is here…._

"Are you avoiding them?"

Iruka asked, curious as to why no signal had been given that Sasuke had been found. Itachi would have been yanking them off the island already.

Sasuke hesitated before answering. "I'm not leaving. At least not yet."

"Why not?"

"I'm not leaving without Naruto."

Sasuke declared stubbornly. Never having dated, it was odd to be meeting their parent, especially in this situation. He crossed his arms and looked up at Naruto's foster father. It was best if they understood each other now.

Taken aback, Iruka's gazed narrowed and he inspected the suddenly bold teen. _Why not? What is Naruto to you….oh. OH._ His eyes zeroed in on small innocent red marks that were fading around the pale neck. His eyebrows shooting up and his mouth opening in disbelief, Iruka gaped at the teen.

"You mean to say that you and Naruto are….?"

Sasuke nodded curtly. "I'm not leaving the island unless he is with me." He reiterated, slightly hoping he hadn't just offended his lover's parent.

Iruka's mouth closed in surprise. A rainbow of emotions swept across his face, ending on a confused grin.

"Well then, I-"

He stopped talking as soon as he heard a loud swooshing sound drawing closer. Perplexed as to what could be making the noise, he looked up in the trees, searching. Hearing unfamiliar giddy laughter, Iruka glanced back and Sasuke and quickly mouthed, "hide".

Sasuke dove into some plant and was immediately out of sight. Iruka followed his example and chose his hiding spot in the bushes opposite to Sasuke's. Almost instantly after they moved, a pair of feet landed on the ground, having climbed out of a nearby tree. Iruka held himself still as the newcomer walked around. He watched as the stranger got down on their knees and crawled through some bushes adjacent to Sasuke's. Holding his breath as he waited for the person to inevitably find the teen, Iruka readied himself to spring out and attack. The stranger quietly crawled through without spotting the pale young man and Iruka let out a pent up breath. Waiting a couple beats, he crawled out, watching as Sasuke did the same. _Who was that man?_

Curious as to what the man was doing, Iruka held a finger up to his mouth for silence and indicated with a nod of his head that he was going to find the man. It was obvious he was either following or searching for something. Sasuke nodded again.

Following the man into a clearing, Iruka was astonished to see Itachi's plane sitting peacefully in the middle. How could they have been so close to it, but had not seen it?! It had its lights on and everything, nearly impossible to miss yet somehow they had. Silently, they watched as the man spoke to himself.

"Time to have some fun."

The man moved back and began to search through his pack. He pulled out some items and placed them on the ground. He then put the items together and held them up as he inspected them. Iruka squinted as he tried to make out what the objects were.

"He's holding some blocks up, but I can't really see what they are. What is he..?"

Sasuke edged closer. He watched as the man moved closer to the plane and attached the blocks to the wings, right where the fuel tanks were placed. Eyes widening, he realized what the man was placing. Glancing back at Iruka and seeing the man's horror stricken face, he knew the man had come to the same conclusion as him. The stranger was attaching C-4 bombs to the plane to blow it to hell, placing them right where they needed to be to cause a huge explosion.

"Ino and Choji are on the plane!"

Iruka hissed, his heart hammering in his chest as he watched. They had to do something. They _needed_ to do something. Anything!

Sasuke whipped around, his face paler than normal.

"What the fuck are they doing on the plane!?"

He hissed back, uncharacteristically concerned with Itachi's, and his future, employees.

"They were supposed to wait for us with the plane ready to take off as soon as you and Naruto were found! We need to stop him, fast!"

Sasuke glanced back at the man and saw him preparing to light the fuses. Vividly remembering how dangerous it had been when he and Naruto had been on the exploding plane, he couldn't help but worry for Ino and Choji. The amount he was putting was extremely dangerous.

"What do we do?"

Iruka's face set in a hard expression. The light bleeding through the leaves from the plane fell across his face, highlighting his nose scar ominously. Standing up, he met Sasuke's gaze.

"I have an idea that just might work…"

**xXx**

Kidomaru grinned as he watched the spark inch closer to the block. Knowing it was almost time to run for safety, he couldn't help but watch the memorizing dance of the small fire as it burned up the thread that held it. Once it went off, it would ignite in a beautiful display of orange and white showers, coating the jungle around it and the people inside. Humming, he watched, entranced.

"Step away from the plane."

Freezing as a voice commanded from a few feet away, Kidomaru whirled around in surprise to find a man standing in the clearing with him. The stranger had a gun point right at his chest and was slowly advancing towards him menacingly.

"Who're you?"

Kidomaru took a step back, watching the man with suspicious eyes. He'd never seen him before; he wasn't on the list of Itachi's employee's that Orochimaru had shown them earlier. He lifted his hands up, feigning submission.

"Step _away_ from the plane."

Iruka repeated, eyeing the wicks nervously. Although they were burning relatively slow with the rain deterring them, it was incredibly risky to stay this close.

"Or what? You'll shoot me?"

Kidomaru met the man's eyes, eager to push him. There was no way he was leaving. Here was a perfectly useless plane he could happily blow to smithereens so he wasn't going anywhere. Analyzing the man carefully, he noticed he didn't seem to be entirely focused on him. Watching the direction to where his eyes kept darting, Kidomaru followed his gaze and looked off to his left side. There, he saw the very person he was supposed to be finding and retrieving sneaking around. _I get to blow up a plane and get a raise from Orochimaru for bringing back the Uchiha kid? Days like this don't come by very often._ Smiling maliciously, he waited for the moment to strike.

Sasuke crept along the other side of the plane as Iruka distracted the man. The henchman was too close to the bombs to get rid of them quickly. Knowing that he was packing explosives, it was highly probable that he also had other dangerous items on him. It was best to get Ino and Choji off the plane as fast as possible and run for it. Slinking over to the back section of the plane, Sasuke reached the panel that that held the back entrance. He began to punch in the correct combination to open the door, knowing that Ino or Choji would immediately check and see him, giving him the perfect opportunity to warn them and get them out.

Kidomaru inched over slowly, moving towards Sasuke. He watched amusedly as the man stepped closer and waved the gun at him threateningly.

"Move any closer, and I'll shoot."

He was bluffing. Iruka tightened his grip on the gun, waiting anxiously as Sasuke disappeared behind the plane. If the man did keep moving, he'd have to shoot. As much as he didn't want to, as much as it was against his nature to harm others, he would do what he had to, to protect his friends. Glaring at the man, he vehemently wished he would simply step away, knowing it was highly unlikely he would. He could see it in his eyes. This man enjoyed what he did. He had on a cruel smile, one full of evil intent. But as long as he was here, Iruka would do everything to stop him from hurting anyone. That is, if they didn't end up getting blown to pieces…

"Little Sasuke, huh? Orochimaru has been wanting you for a while now."

Kidomaru moved his head to the side, keeping his eyes on the man with the gun. He deliberately spoke towards the raven, knowing he could hear him.

Sasuke's hand froze as he was putting in the last digit. His hand curled into a fist as pictured the smug snake freak smiling gleefully. _Orochimaru….. you're dead._ Shaking his head, he pressed the last key and the back entrance slowly lowered, opening.

**xXx**

Ino tapped the plan's status screen as it began to beep loudly and shrilly.

"Hey Choji, did you open the back? The security code has been inputted and its opening."

Choji glanced up from his phone where he had been playing a mindless game. Peeking over at the screen, he cocked his head in confusion and shook it.

"No. Maybe the others are back. I'll go check." He offered easily.

He tugged off his headset and hooked it around the navigation controls. Getting up from his chair, he exited the cockpit and wandered over to the back, humming nonchalantly as he went. Walking closer, he curiously watched as the door slid open and nobody stepped in.

**xXx**

Kidomaru gave one last look at the bombs. The wicks were extremely close to detonation. _If only it would stop raining…_ He needed to move quickly. Hearing the unmistakable sound of a plane door sliding open, he smiled at the man with the gun. _Now_!

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must go."

Darting quickly to the side, he ran over to where he heard the door opening, planning to overpower Sasuke and drag him away before the plane lit the night sky.

Iruka moved as soon as the man did. He immediately fired off a couple shots, still vainly hoping that he didn't have to kill him. The bullets spiked into the ground, creating small geysers of muddy water as they barely missed the man.

**xXx**

Choji reached the back and found himself face to face with an almost entirely naked and dirty Sasuke. The raven grabbed his shirt roughly and brought him in close. Sasuke was shaking, still remembering how he and Naruto had barely survived the explosions on their own plane. It wasn't something he was keen on having done twice. Choji shirked back as he got a close up view of Sasuke's pale, muddy face. The teen had a pale gash across his cheeks and nose and was peppered with small nicks and bruises. He looked like a complete and utter mess.

"Choji, get Ino off the plane. _Now-!"_

Gunshots burst out loudly, startling the two. Out of nowhere, an arm appeared and wrapped itself around Sasuke's neck, dragging him off the plane. A man's profile came into view has he was close enough for the lights within the plane to reach him. Choji immediately recognized the man that grabbed the raven as Kidomaru, a henchman of Orochimaru! Sasuke clamped his hands on the arm, digging his nails in as he pulled it away from his throat. Seeing Choji reaching for him, he shook his head as best as he could. Gritting his teeth as he pulled, he was almost free of the hold.

"Get Ino out!" He howled, coughing as the arm tightened and cut off his air supply sharply. Letting go of the arm, he jammed his elbow back, hoping to injure the man enough to loosen his grip.

"Ngghh…Fuck… _off_."

Unfortunately, the man's thick clothing lessened the blow, allowing him to tighten his hold even more.

"Let him go!"

Appearing out of thin air like a ghost, an angry Iruka was suddenly there. He drew back his fist and viciously slammed it into Kidomaru's face, quickly separating him from a wheezing Sasuke. He leapt in the way between him and Sasuke, using his body as a sort of shield and holding the gun back up. Shocked at seeing the usually peaceful and kind man act so violently, Choji knew something serious and dangerous was going on. Twisting back around in the plane, he saw that Ino was already coming towards him, a worried look on her face.

"Choji, what's going on!?"

Getting a foreboding feeling in his chest, Choji simply grabbed her hand and yanked her off the plane. Outside, they were instantly met with cold rain and bright lightning in a dark jungle. Ino tugged against his hand, confused. She glanced around as she tried to figure out what was happening. Everything was shrouded with gray and black, making it almost impossible to see.

"Ch-choji…look…."

Turning to where Ino was weakly pointing at, Choji's eyes landed on strange block with glinting duct tape attached to the plane's wing. A small wick was burning brightly, almost entirely gone. Feeling the bottom of his stomach drop, Choji stepped back.

Sasuke was coughing violently on the ground, having been brutally kicked in the stomach by Kidomaru as Iruka had separated them. His chest was in world of pain and agony and he couldn't seem to draw breath. _Oh Jesus, fuck… I can't breathe…_ His vision, already hampered by the thunderstorm, was now spotty and dim. _Shit_ …

Iruka glimpsed to the side and saw that the two were safely off the plane. Relieved, his eyes strayed to the bombs and his blood instantaneously ran icy cold in his veins. _Oh Christ…_ Precious seconds left, he knew it was over if they didn't move now.

"RUN!"

He yelled out to them, trying to jar them out of their shocked states. Ducking from a wild swing from the the attacking man, he twisted around and pistol whipped him across the face, wincing has he felt the impact through the gun. He leapt away, out of the man's reached and raced over to Sasuke. Knowing how much Kakashi cared about him and how desperate Itachi was to get him back, along with Naruto's apparent feelings for him, Iruka was not going to leave him. Hoping they could move fast, Iruka hauled Sasuke to his feet and basically dragged him as he ran into the jungle, away from the plane. Sasuke quickly seemed to regain his breath and pushed Iruka away, running haphazardly on his own.

Pelting through the dark and stormy jungle Choji and Ino ran ahead blindly. Legs pumping as fast as they could and chest heaving with deep and terrified breaths, they ran desperately, trying to put as much distance as they could between them and the gas filled plane ready to explode. Ino ran right behind Choji, shielding her face as low lying branches and thick plant stems whipped in her face.

Iruka was closely following Choji and Ino, while keeping a close eye on Sasuke. His heart hammered in his chest as he painfully waited for the explosion. Terrified of the prospect of dying without seeing his son one more time, he forced his body to run faster, pushing it past its limits. He quickly caught up to the duo and watched Sasuke made an effort to run faster, despite looking like he was about to pass out. He held out, reaching Iruka seconds later. The brunette raced past the thick trees and hanging vines, feeling adrenaline pulse through his veins and capillaries as it gave him the boost he needed. It was crucial to get out of the wide blast radius the explosion was bound to have. To be even slightly close would be fatal. _Just a little further….just a bit more…_

**xXx**

It was unnervingly quiet. Itachi suspiciously glanced around, eyeing the jungle around him carefully. The rain had abruptly slowed down to a peaceful roar, making the silent wilderness all the more eerie. The thunder rumbled loudly, but was kept at bay. Naruto was also quiet as he followed dutifully behind him. Itachi amusedly suspected that he had scared the kid into muteness from admitting his hand in Kabuto's death.

Feeling an uncomfortable sensation down his spine that something big was about to happen, Itachi rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to pinpoint what it was. He knew that Orochimaru's men would fight if they needed to; in response, he supplied his own team. He fully expected them to survive, so the sounds of fighting and yelling weren't surprising. He suspected he had more men on the island, so he had the upper hand over anything opposing him. Finding Naruto was a bonus, knowing it would please Iruka and that in turn would please Kakashi, allowing him to use it as a sort of bargaining chip in the future. So then, what was this feeling?...

Naruto peeked up at the man as he trailed behind him. It was true that the man was disturbingly creepy and dangerous, but since he was Sasuke's brother, Naruto supposed he was in better hands. _Better than wandering all alone with tigers and shit running around._ Watching him walk, he couldn't help but draw comparisons in his head between the two. Sasuke was obviously younger and actually seemed more approachable than his sibling. While Sasuke did have his icy glares and attitude issues, his brother was on entirely new level. He was the definition of scary. It was no wonder Sasuke was an asshole. Growing up with a brother like that, who wouldn't be? Getting tired of referring to him mentally as "Sasuke's brother", Naruto decided to work his charm and see if he could get on the man's good side. As it stood, he was on the ignored side, something that he didn't like.

"Since you know my name, can't you tell me yours?"

He piped up, hoping to start up a friendly conversation. If he managed to get close to Sasuke the ice prince, maybe he could get along with his brother too.

Itachi turned slightly and regarded Naruto with a slightly raised eyebrow. Humoring himself, he answered.

"And why would I?"

"Because you're Sasuke's brother."

"Your point being…? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm Sasuke's…friend."

"And you see this as giving you some right to know my name?"

Naruto's slightly cheerful mood began to deflate as the conversation continued. _God, he's just like Sasuke was back on the plane. Stupid teme also didn't want to tell me his name. What's wrong with people knowing your name? It isn't weird._

"Nevermind."

He muttered, knowing the man was simply going to keep sidestepping the question. Going back to following him silently, Naruto soon itched to fill in the silence. It was too awkward to keep quiet.

"Hey do you know where we're going? Do you have a map? How did you guys even get here?"

Itachi sighed quietly. "No, no, and in a plane. Are you usually this talkative?" He couldn't imagine being stranded somewhere with someone that would constantly talk. He'd go mad. That being said, he couldn't imagine Sasuke putting up with it. His little brother had a shorter tolerance for small talk than he did.

Naruto pursed his lips as he got the message. _Oh they're definitely brothers_. Crossing his arms, he shivered. He rubbed his upper arms rapidly as he tried to create warmth with friction. Walking around in a dark jungle with barely a stitch of clothing and during a storm was a horrible idea. His entire body had gone a bit numb with the cold. Absently following Sasuke's brother, his mind wandered to the raven. Uchiha number one had told him that he had killed Kabuto, which meant that Sasuke had somehow escaped. _What if he had gone back to the campsite and found it empty? What would he do? Would he be worried?_ Biting his bottom lip, he crossed his arms and huddled into himself. It seemed that the rain was beginning to pick up, along with the winds. Keeping his eyes on Uchiha number one, he avoided running into him when he abruptly stopped walking and stood still.

"Hey, why'd ya stop-"

"Shhh."

Itachi shook his head and motioned for the blonde to be quiet. His hand smoothly descended to his waist, and hovered above his holster. A few nearby bushes suddenly shook and a figure immediately rolled out, coming to a stop in front of them. Standing up in a flashy and dramatic manner, the new person greeted Sasuke's brother exuberantly. He was wearing blindingly green fatigues and had the thickest eyebrows in the history of the world. His dark bowl cut gleaned in the darkness as he smiled widely at them.

"Itachi, sir! It's good to see you again!"

Naruto blinked and tilted his head in confusion. _Who is this?_ Glancing back towards Uchiha number one, he realized the man had said his name _. Itachi, huh? Strange name._

Itachi nodded once. "Lee. Where are the others?"

"We're right here." A female voice called out.

The bushes rattled once more and two new figures stepped into view. A tall man with long brown hair and pale eyes, accompanied by a woman with short black hair in buns and matching fatigues made their way over.

"Neji, Ten Ten."

The man nodded his head as a greeting and the woman smiled at him.

"Hey boss."

Feeling awkwardly like the stranger to them he was, Naruto stood back, taking in all that was happening. _This means that besides me, Sasuke, and Itachi, there are more guys on the island? Who else is here? And where does that leave Sasuke?_ Taking a small step back, Naruto was surprise to see Lee staring straight at him.

"Are you by any chance Naruto?"

Shocked that the man also knew his name, Naruto nodded. "How do you guys know my name? And who are you?"

"I'm Rock Lee! These are my teammates, Neji and Ten Ten. We work for Itachi and are here to rescue you and Sasuke."

He walked over to Naruto and clapped him on the back several times, blissfully ignorant of the way he shoved the blonde with each pat. "It's good to see that you're okay. Iruka will be most happy to see you again."

Wincing, Naruto stepped to the side to avoid getting hit again.

"Wait, how do you know Iruka?"

Ten Ten walked over and critically inspecting him. Naruto unconsciously took small steps back, uncomfortable with the way she was dissecting him with her eyes.

"Hmm, you have a couple injures, but nothing that seems dangerous. Iruka came in with a co-worker, Kakashi, the day after you're plane went down. We were, then, called in to organize search groups."

Naruto grinned, imagining how happy his dad would be to see him. "So he's waiting back in the city for me?" He asked excitedly, eager to dissolve the fears he knew the brunette would be having.

Ten Ten shook her head. "He's here on the island, searching for you right now. He was deadest on coming and nothing would dissuade him."

"Itachi, we found Kabuto's plane."

Neji stepped off to the side, speaking quietly with Itachi as his teammates chatted with the blond. Although things were going smoothly now, it was best to get off the island quickly. Now that Naruto was secured, Sasuke remained as the main objective.

Itachi's face seemed to freeze over. Glancing over at Neji, he moved his body slightly, separating them from the others. He surveyed the jungle as he talked.

"Was there anyone on it?"

Neji shook his head. "It was empty when we arrived. We searched through it and found nothing useful. I took it upon myself to deem it a liability and so we sabotaged it, destroying the circuitry so it wouldn't be able to fly."

Itachi smiled coldly. "Good. Now all that's left is to find my little brother and kill the rest of the assholes here. Kill, or leave here to die. Both sound equally appealing." He mused, his eyes glinting dangerously as he thought up appropriate ways to punish those who dared cross him through Sasuke.

Neji nodded again, surprised he could almost see the waves of animosity pouring off of his employer. It was disturbing to see him lust for blood, but he wouldn't judge. Family bonds go deep. If something were to happened to his cousin, he would murder Kiba, hands down.

"We haven't seen any of the others yet. Have you?"

Itachi nodded once in confirmation. "A while back I saw a Kiba's team."

Lee wandered over to them. Propping an arm up on Neji's shoulder, he cocked his head and looked over at Itachi.

"What do we do now? There's no way they can escape now. It's just a matter of waiting."

Itachi was silent for a few beats before responding. "We find Sasuke, and deal with the others. Once they find out their plane was destroyed, they're going to want ours, so they'll attack."

"Choji and Ino are still on the plane, waiting for us. They haven't radioed in about anything and it's been a while since we sabotaged it." Neji shoved Lee off of him. "I suspect they won't be returning to their plane until they have Sasuke."

Ten Ten came over, with Naruto in tow. "Hey boss, should we rendezvous back to the plane and create new searching tactics? This time implementing ideas for communication fails?"

Itachi glanced over at her before turning to the jungle before him. "Do as you wish. I don't care as long as Sasuke is found. Go to the plane if you want, but I'm staying out here."

Naruto watched them talk. His eyes going back and forth, he stepped over, nearing Itachi.

"If you're going to stay out here, so am I."

Itachi's eyes slid towards him, eyebrows raised. Not questioning him further, he turned to Lee.

"Did you bring any spare clothes? I don't want to end up dragging a pneumonic corpse around." He indicated over at Naruto, who was still in his boxers and nothing more.

Lee was constantly exercising and participating in all sorts of sports. His clothes were always getting torn and dirtied, so he always kept a spare pair around, in case the ones he was wearing got too bad to wear. The dark-haired man nodded and stooped down. Rifling through his pack, he brought out a pair of green fatigues that matched the ones he was wearing. Handing them over to Naruto, he grinned.

"I hope this will keep you warm as you stay out here."

Wincing at the mass of green handed to him, Naruto thanked him. At least I'll be warm. Slipping them on, he grimaced as the cloth stuck to his wet skin. It was a bit big, but otherwise a perfect fit. He looked down at his green clad body and moved around, adjusting to wearing actual clothes again. The green was still overwhelmingly headache inducing, but hey, he could blend in with the scenery now.

"Alright, we're heading out to the plane. See you around."

Ten Ten waved goodbye as she quickly followed Neji and Lee as they began to wander back into the jungle. Naruto waved back.

"Bye, thanks for the clothes!"

Itachi glanced over at him and tilted his head to the side.

"Let's get moving."

**xXx**

Kankuro grunted as he lifted Hinata in his arms, adjusting his grip as she almost fell. It had been a while since Kiba had left and he'd been standing guard over her before deciding to move to a new location. Kiba's shouts had stopped and he was beginning to worry slightly for the idiot.

"Aw, why'd you have to go and pass out now?"

She wasn't that heavy, but after carrying her bridal style through a thick jungle where he had to be mindful of every step, it got tiring quickly. He couldn't leave her behind, and she wouldn't wake up.

"If fucking Neji finds me like this, he'd better save his ass kicking for Kiba."

Pausing, he lifted a knee up and rested her back against it as he readjusted his hold. He had one hand supporting the back of her knees, and the other on her upper back. His arms had begun to tire, slowly begging for more oxygen as he trekked on through the jungle.

"Kankuro! Hinata!"

Surprised and startled at hearing their name, Kankuro twisted around, almost dropping Hinata with the quick movement. Running over to him were Shikamaru and Gaara. Grinning as they came closer, he awkwardly waved at them with the hand under Hinata's knees.

"Does Kiba know you're kidnapping his girl?"

Shikamaru smirked as he noticed how uncomfortable Kankuro was.

"He should, seeing as he's the one that left her with me."

Gaara came closer, managing to tug his foot out of the deep puddle of mud he had accidentally stepped in. Ignoring the soggy feeling of his wet sock in his combat boots, he greeted Kankuro with a slight head nod.

"What happened? We heard screaming and shouting that sounded just like Kiba."

Kankuro nodded, his face turning grim. Figuring it was story time, he gently propped Hinata up against a nearby tree. Stretching a bit, he turned back to the other guys and crossed his arms.

"A while back we were attacked by some psycho bitch that was on the hunt for Sasuke. Kiba baited her and she ran off. He took off after her and left me to watch over Hinata until he got back. It's been around twenty minutes since he was gone."

Gaara mulled this over in his mind as Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He spoke up, breaking the awkward silence that had descended when Kankuro had finished talking.

"What were the bursts of light?"

"Flash grenades. She had a shit ton on her, using them over and over again. Fucking went deaf and blind for a while. My guess is that she still had a couple left when Kiba went after her and that's what you guys saw."

Shikamaru sighed. "Probably." He brought his cold hands together and rubbed them, warming them up with friction. "How troublesome. This could have all been avoided if Sasuke had just agreed to the bodyguards Itachi had assigned him, rather than relying on locater devices. I could be a home right now, watching the clouds fly by a nice blue sky, but instead, I'm stuck on an island in the Pacific that's going through a cold thunderstorm while searching for my tyrant boss's brother."

Kankuro snorted. "Lazyass. I'd rather be here than in that office. Nothing but papers and boring shit."

"We should head back to the plane. It would be best to try and find the others with Choji using the infrared radars." Gaara interrupted as he shoved his wet hair back, causing it to spike up a bit. "Once we've located everyone, we can set a new plan instead of wandering around aimlessly."

Shikamaru nodded and looked over at Kankuro. "Are you coming?" He then turned and looked at the unconscious figure propped up on the tree. "If you are, you're still going to have to take her with you."

Sighing heavily, Kankuro agreed reluctantly. "Fine, whatever. I just want to go home and take a long ass shower and sleep for days without having to hear the name "Sasuke" or "Itachi" again."

Shaking out his arms, he bent down and lifted Hinata back into his arms, grimacing as her long hair stuck to his damp face as he accommodated his grip. He tilted his head back, trying to remove the strands, but they held fast.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't we be searching for Sasuke and Iruka's kid, Naruto?" Shikamaru turned to his teammates, raising an eyebrow as they both said nothing. He simply looked back, staring at them.

Kankuro broke the stare, uncomfortable with the way Shikamaru kept up the gaze. "What? It's not like I could. I was busy watching over her." He nodded down with his head, indicating towards Hinata. "Hell, I wasn't even looking for Sasuke, either."

Gaara shrugged. "You saw everything I did. I've yet to see, either."

Shikamaru shook his head dejectedly. "We're never going to get out of here at this rate."

Gaara moved past them and began to trek back into the jungle, pausing to wait for them to catch up. "They may be waiting for us at this moment. The best course of action is to head back to the plane and figure out what to do from there." He turned to his brother, amused at how he kept avoiding putting his hands in certain areas as he had to readjust his hold on Hinata several times. "Do you need any help?"

"Pfft. As if. I just need to get her _hair_ out of my mouth, ugh."

Shikamaru reached over and peeled the strands away. "There. Now let's hurry back."

Gaara turned back around, taking the lead.

"Agreed."

**xXx**

Nearing its end, the small fire ate up the rest of the thread and reached the blasting cap it was attached to. Immediately, a chemical reaction began, setting off a small explosion that triggered the C4. Instantly, a scorching, heavy wave of compressed air exploded out, traveling quickly and demolishing anything in it path. Trees and shrubbery fell victim to its volatile force, getting reduced to splinters and dust. Straightaway, the plane was ripped into shreds of metal, projecting large scraps of deadly, burning shrapnel all around. Surviving trees and plants were dissected as the chunks flew by, slicing easily through the vegetation and plant life. Pieces were launched up into the air, falling back to earth quickly, imitating guillotines. The gas within the wings caught fire, spreading the dangerous blazes far and wide as it exploded into flames. A lethal rain of fire began to fall, burning brightly as the gasoline fueled it; it lit the dark sky like fireworks. Trees that had managed to survive the initial blast wave and getting carved up by shrapnel were caught on fire as the embers landed on them. Vast plumes of smoke erupted into the rainy sky, billowing out and igniting the area in a bright orange glow as it traveled up, creating a flaming inferno in the sky. The thunder of the storm was drowned out by the blast, which shook the earth violently. The black, charred remains of the plane hurled to the ground, leaving a streak of fire behind them as they fell, colliding heavily on the earth. The burnt skeleton of the plane lay in a pile of wet dirt and fire, releasing clouds of steam as rain came in contact with the sizzling hot metal.

They felt the blast before they heard it. At once, Iruka, Sasuke, Choji and Ino were savagely shoved to the ground as waves of hot air pressure bared down on them, pushing down with a suffocating force. Leaves rattled on the trees as they were forcefully ripped off, flying off in to the orange sky. Branches were pulled off and trees were uprooted. The resonating boom of the explosion popped their eardrums painfully, and left a loud ringing noise echoing in their cochleas. Pieces of shrubbery landed on them as the pressure receded, leaving a demolished jungle in its wake. A huge amount of the beautiful jungle life had been eradicated, reduced to chunks of splintered wood and torn leaves. Green, vibrant vines were strewn around, hanging precariously from the trees they were thrown into.

Bathed in the orange light of the dispersing fires that now littered the area, Choji grunted painfully as he picked himself off the ground, shoving off the branches that were crisscrossing on top of him. Standing up gingerly, he glances around, surprised at the amount of damage the bombs had actually caused and stunned that he was still alive. Patting his chest, he felt his heart pounding painfully in his chest, galloping at a quick pace. His hands trembling, he lowered them and realized he didn't see any of the others.

"Ino! Sasuke! Iruka! Where are you!?"

Stumbling around on shaky legs, he froze when he heard a grumbled reply.

"Over _here_."

A hand cropped out of the nearby mess of jungle mush and began to wave back and forth. Carefully stepping over the broken trees and muddy patches of earth, he quickly walked in the direction of the hand. It disappeared back down and the mass of foliage surrounding it began to move. Pushing the large leaves out of the way, he revealed a dirty, but otherwise unharmed Iruka. The brunette was trying to push off a gnarled tree branch that had pinned him by the stomach to the ground. He was flat on his back with his hands under the branch, shoving up with no avail.

"Iruka! Are you alright?"

"I'm okay….I think. I'm stuck."

Choji grabbed one end of the branch and began to yank it up. Managing to lift it up a bit, Iruka used the extra room to squirm out. Once he was free, he stood up and rubbed his abdomen gingerly.

"That's going to hurt in the morning."

"You're bleeding."

Choji noticed, point at the back of Iruka's head. The brunette reached up and touched his head, wincing as his fingers came across a gash near his crown. His hair band fell off, letting loose the brown stands. Gazing at the blood on his fingers as he pulled his hand away, Iruka grimaced, suddenly feeling the pain of the wound as he thought about it.

"I must have hit my head on something. It's not terribly bad, but I most likely will need stitches." Wiping his blood off on his pants, he looked around, searching for the others. Not seeing them, he began to call out to them. "Sasuke! Ino!"

"Iruka! Choji!"

Hearing Ino respond a few feet away, they quickly made their way closer. The sky was no longer a bright orange glow; the fires not fed by gasoline were dying out in the rain, leeching the light from the surrounding areas. It was getting harder to make out where things were.

Choji reached her first, immediately checking her for injuries. She smiled shakily and shook her head. She was covered in head to foot in dark mud, almost impossible to spot if she hadn't been speaking.

"I'm fine. I managed to fall into some mud, so I'm not hurt."

Iruka let out a pent up breath in relief. "Thank goodness you weren't hurt."

"But then where is Sa-"

"I'm fine."

Leaning awkwardly against a tree, Sasuke slid into view and waved at them, with his right hand, as the other was pressing against right side. His teeth were clenched and his face was scrunched in pain as he was bent slightly forward. His dark bangs were falling into his face and his chest was rapidly moving up and down as he took quick, short breaths.

Frowning, Iruka stepped over to him, worried about him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Noticing the raven wasn't moving from the tree or replying, Iruka moved in closer. Alarmed, he detected the reek of blood in the air, around the teen. "Sasuke, where are you hurt? Let me see." He glanced down to where Sasuke held his hand. Shocked, he barely noticed a dark substance leaking out between the pale fingers, dripping slowly to the jungle floor. He held out a hand, reaching to remove Sasuke's so he could see what had happened.

"I said…I'm _fine_."

Sasuke moved quickly, slapping Iruka's hand out of the way. The blow was disturbingly weak. He stumbled as his momentum pushed him forward. Iruka swiftly moved forward, bringing his hands up, but unsure of what to do. Panicked, he watched as Sasuke's cold black eyes rolled up, exposing his sclera and he went limp, falling towards the ground. Immediately catching him before he fell completely, Iruka turned him around carefully. Ino and Choji hurried over as they saw what had happened.

"Sasuke! Is he alright?!" Choji called out worriedly.

Adjusting the raven until he was lying on his back, Iruka finally got a glimpse of the wound. Deeply embedded in Sasuke's abdomen on his right side was a long, jagged piece of jungle wood. The large splinter was jutting out of his stomach slightly, almost going clear through his side. Blood seeped out from the wound, spreading across Sasuke's stomach like an intricate red maze on a white background. The wood moved up and down with each shallow breath he took.

"Oh my god! Sasuke!"

Ino sobbed, staring at the red liquid pooling around the injury. Scared, she kneeled down and grabbed Sasuke's hand, gripping it tightly in between hers. Choji had a grim look on his face.

His hands hovering over the shard, Iruka wanted to remove it immediately, but knew the teen would run the risk of bleeding to death. Although not much better, it was safer to leave it alone.

"Oh Christ, I'm not a doctor, but this isn't good. No no, this is bad."


	26. The Battle of Helms Deep

“Did ya miss me?

Temari moved back, her eyes glued to the man. Tayuya glanced at her, and then turned to face Jirobo. Kiba looked over at Temari, confused, before rotating back to keep his eyes on Tayuya.

“Wait, you know this chick?”

Tayuya inquired curiously. Jirobo curled his lip into a twisted smile. He patted his chest, fingering the small burned holes on his torso. His fingers twisted into a fist.

“Bitch shot at me, tried to kill me.” He growled.

Temari grinned nervously. Placing her weight on her good leg, she jutted a hip out and crossed her arms. Putting up a façade of bravado to mask the fear coursing through her, she nodded cockily at him.

“Just tried to return the favor.”

Kakashi straightened out from his slouch. His gunshot wound wasn’t bleeding as much anymore. That was either a good thing, or a bad thing. Good because he wouldn’t be losing any more blood, but bad if he was low on blood. Either way, he had no time to recover. He and Temari were injured, and Kiba wasn’t looking too good. Although they were evenly matched, it was highly stacked against their favor. He could still go on for a bit, but he knew they needed more time. Where the fuck are the others? He was slightly worried that the others might have been taken out already, but refused to think about it. Something told him they were okay. His worry for Iruka was shoved away too, as it would only serve as a distraction, something he couldn’t afford. Despite his efforts to ignore it, thoughts of Iruka hovered in his mind.

Kiba glanced around secretly. Eyeing his teammates, he took inventory of their injuries. Out of all of them, he was the one who was the healthiest. He was tired, but didn’t have any extensive wounds. It would be up to him to take the brunt of the fighting. Swallowing heavily, he mentally prepared himself and slowed down his breathing. He needed to focus. He knew how the girl fought, but the others were a complete mystery. Noticing that the two of the three had begun to bicker amongst themselves, he edged closer to Temari and Kakashi, making sure not to draw attention to himself.

“ _Psst, Kakashi_.” He whispered.

Kakashi’s head moved slightly, acknowledging Kiba.

“Hmm?”

“Being realistic here, it’s going to be up to me to deal the most damage to them. What’s the deal with the silent one?”

Kakashi’s face hardened as its gaze fell on Sakon.

“I may have accidentally murdered his brother in front of him.”

Kiba gaped in disbelief at him. “Accidentally….? How the..?”

Kakashi shrugged, letting out a slight grunt as he moved his injured shoulder. “It was an accident. As for fighting style, he uses a firearm. He has excellent aim, but if you get him angry, he’ll get worse.”

Kiba nodded, quickly forming ideas on how to deal with him. Turning to Temari who had her eyes on the biggest man, he opened his mouth to ask her about him.

“Psst, Tem-”

“I’m not telling you anything. He’s mine.”

She cut in quickly, her tone brusque and inflexible. Her gaze never strayed from Jirobo. Taken aback by her response, Kiba tried to reason with her.

“Look, I know you want to deal with this yourself, but your leg is-”

“Perfectly fine and functional.” She turned to him, her jaw set. “I’m not arguing with you. I’ll take care of him.”

**xXx**

Tayuya turned to Jirobo and jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “Look here, stupid. There’s three of us and there’s three of them. Each one gets one; you don’t have to be so fucking greedy, you ass.”

Jirobo looked down at her and shook his head.

“Cursing is not lady-like.”

“Aw shut up, fucking retard. I do what I want, and I want tattoo boy over there. You get the girl and Sakon can do whatever he wants as soon as he snaps out of it.” She crossed her arms and slyly looked over at them. Noticing that they were arguing, she grinned as she could imagine hunting them down if they tried to escape. They wouldn’t get very far by the looks of it.

“Where is Kabuto?”

Tayuya shrugged. “How the hell should I know where four-eyes is? I don’t fucking care.” She crossed her arms. “He just better be ready for when we get Sasuke.”

**xXx**

Kiba turned to Kakashi to try and help him persuade Temari, but as soon as he looked over, the taller man looked away. Groaning, he threw his hands up.

“Alright, you win. Just don’t come crying to me when something bad happens.”

Temari chuckled. “When did you ever see my cry? I don’t cry.”

“Okay assholes! Playtime is over.”

Tayuya clapped her hands and placed them on her hips. Glaring evilly at them, she winked at Kiba, who stuck up his middle finger at her. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to Sakon.

“Hey, where is -!”

A deafening roar unexpectedly filled the sky and the ground beneath everyone’s feet shook violently. Strong winds rushed past and caused everyone to take a hard stance as not to be pushed over. A huge cloud of smoke and fire rose up quickly in the sky, illuminating the dark jungle. Trees rattled and wet dirt was thrown up in the air. Kiba, Temari, and Kakashi immediately ducked their heads, bracing themselves. Rain began to pour down, filling the emptiness the loud explosion left behind.

“….Kidomaru..”

Jirobo looked at the clouds of smoke spewing into the sky. “That’s his handiwork.” A smug smile slid onto his face. “I bet you anything that that was their plane.”

Kiba’s heart sank. If what they said was true, then they were stuck here. _No way out. Fuck_. He spun over to the others and met their gaze. Temari sighed. Her eyes flitted around as she thought hard about their options. It was a grim outlook for them if they didn’t get any help soon.

Kakashi grimaced and reached down to his pockets. They didn’t have much time and now their only means of escape was shot. It was now or never. He slowly ran his fingers on his holster, ready to pull out his piece when the moment came.

“Enough of this.” Tayuya grabbed her gun and aimed it at Kakashi, wanting to take out the weakest one first. “Since you two retards are too busy gazing at fireworks, I’ll do this.”

Kakashi instantly rolled out of the way as soon as she moved, pulling out his gun. Thumbing the safety off, he bit his lip as his shoulder released waves of pain radiating all over his body. The shot barely missed him, burrowing itself deeply into the muck near his back. Temari moved back as well as she could, hoping to take cover behind the trees. She found a thick one and plastered herself to it, using its width to hide behind.

“Aim for the head! They’ve got armor on!”

She called out, not wanting them to waste bullets. Loading her gun, she took a deep breath and quickly leaned out of the safety of the tree. Cursing, she moved back swiftly as she saw Jirobo move into the shadows.

“Come on out, girlie! I thought you wanted to return the favor? Are you to scared, you bitch?”

Jirobo called out, purposely taunting her. He wanted to rile her up into making a mistake and letting her guard down. Out of the three of them, she was by far the most wary one. He knew she wanted to be the one to finish him, so he would use that to his advantage. Moving back into the large clearing, he exposed himself, keeping his back away from her.

“You piece of shit, you’re done for!”

“No Temari! It’s a trap!”

Blinded by anger and the agony in her leg, Temari lunged out of from behind the tree and immediately began to fire at him, desperately aiming for his head. She failed to notice the person hiding in his shadow, slowly taking aim at her.

**xXx**

Kakashi leapt to his feet, running towards her as best as he could. He had spied Tayuya sneaking up behind Jirobo and making a move to take out Temari. He watched in horror as Temari leapt out into the clearing and fired at the man, while completely exposing herself. His legs weren’t moving fast enough. In slow motion, he watched as Tayuya got down on one knee and brought her hands up, holding the gun and pointing it at Temari.

**_xXx_ **

Grinning as she managed to clip Jirobo in the arm despite aiming for her head Temari only had small moment of victory as something slammed into her right thigh, breaking her stand. She had been supporting herself on her right leg; without and support, she crumpled to the ground.

“AH, _FUCK_!”

She screamed, grabbing her thigh in pain. Glancing up, she heard her heart pounding brutally in her ears as she watched Jirobo ginning at her and the other girl taking aim again. She could vaguely hear Kakashi and Kiba screaming out her name through the furious pounding. Not going out without a fight, she let go of her leg and brought her hand up, firing again. Missing wildly from her vision shaking, she felt her blood run cold as her clip ran out and she was firing empty. Baring her teeth at them, her body immediately tensed up as she waited for the final blow. Out of nowhere, she spied shockingly familiar red hair burst into her view and take a stance in front of her, retaliating the gunshots. Instantly, Jirobo and Tayuya fell back, resorting to returning fire from the safety of the trees.

At once, someone was at her side, helping her up.

“Gaara? Shikamaru?”

She asked incredulously, too surprised to fight off Shikamaru who was basically carrying her away and into the tree line. 

“Temari! You okay?”

Kiba rushed over as Shikamaru brought her towards him. Shikamaru gently placed her down and quickly began to inspect her gunshot wound. He was entirely silent.

Gaara quickly joined them. Breathing hard, he reloaded his pistols and prepared to defend. He glanced down swiftly at Temari and Shikamaru before turning back to where Tayuya was yelling at them.

“How bad is it?”

Temari painfully examined the bloody hole in her thigh. “It’s not too deep, but it just hurts like hell.”

Shikamaru rifled through his pack and found a roll of gauze. Itachi required that all packs have rudimentary medical supplies in case of accidents. For once happy that his boss was a strict asshole, Shikamaru unraveled the roll and met Temari’s gaze.

“Lift up your leg if you can. I’m going to wrap this around to add pressure to stop the bleeding.”

Unsettled by his curt tone, Temari nodded and gritted her teeth as she struggled to lift her leg. Shikamaru deftly dressed the wound. He then redressed her left knee, frowning as he did. He gently secured her makeshift brace and used the excess gauze to tighten it. After he finished he avoided meeting her gaze and stood up. Keeping his gun ready to fire, he carefully peeked around the tree and into the clearing.

**xXx**

“Come on out asshole! You and your friends can’t hide forever!”

Tayuya called out, hoping to piss of another one and cause them to make a mistake. Someone was firing at them, managing to hit a couple times. Her bulletproof vest now had new bullets buried in it, with dark bruises forming underneath. She had hit the girl. That left the girl’s two new friends and tattoo boy. She called out some more, keeping their attention on her. Jirobo was currently reloading and getting ready to return fire, and Sakon was moving out to take care of the one with silver hair.

“Chickenshits! Come on out here, fuckers!”

**xXx**

“Tch.”

Gaara took aim and fired. His shot pinged off a couple of rocks right by the girl’s foot. She screeched and leapt back, hiding again. He was up in a tree, with perfect visibility. As soon as either of them stepped into the clearing, he’d fire. Not aiming to kill, but to anger and frightened. He sadistically enjoyed simply firing close warning shots, rather that killing them. The tiny smile that had formed on his lips quickly disappeared as he realized that there were only two that he was firing at. There had been three….

**xXx**

Pissed that the red-haired fucker was purely messing with her, Tayuya eagerly waited for Sakon to give the sign. As soon as he did, she’d have a field day with her idea. _Come on, her the fuck up, you slow bastard…_ Suddenly, she heard it.

“OH FUCK! Kakashi, move!”

“Get out! Move! He’s behind us!”

At once, all of them ran out of the clearing and into her view. The girls she hit was being carried by one of the new comers and the silver-haired man was shooting behind them. Sakon came racing out after them, wielding his pistols wildly and chasing Kakashi down whiles screaming. _My turn!_ She and Jirobo came barreling out of their hiding spot and into the fray. As soon as she noticed them turn to her, she jammed her hands it to her pockets and yanked out some cans. Heaving them at the ground, she leapt to the right while Jirobo moved left. The cans exploded, releasing a thick, fog like smoke that instantly coated the clearing, making visibility turn to zero. She heard shots ring out in the smoke, but they were far from her. Keeping to the outer rims of the fog, she looked for dark figures to fire at.

“Fuck I can’t see!”

“Stop! Don’t shoot!”

Kakashi stood stock still as the fog descended on them. He could barely see, but managed to make out figures wandering in the dark.

“Kakashi?”

He heard Kiba call out his name. He sounded relatively close by.

“Everyone, don’t shoot!”

Several gunshots rang out, startling everyone.

“For Christ’s sake, _don’t fucking shoot_!” Kakashi yelled out irritably. “You’re going to end up hitting each other!”

Tayuya growled as she heard the man talk. He was ruining her plan! It would be absolutely perfect if they ended up shooting the shit out of each other. Whirling around, she plunged right into the fog, releasing a couple of more shots, hoping to scare them into firing.

“Come on, you fucking babies! See if you can get me now!”

Spotting a figure following her as she ran around, she quickly stopped and turned to face them. Squinting, she thought she recognized the silhouette.

“So tattoo boy, ready for the next round?!

She crowed, eager to cause more chaos and commotion. He stepped closer, coming more into view. Frowning, Tayuya noticed that it wasn’t Tattoo Boy, but one of the newcomers. Cocking her head, she smiled as he advanced menacingly towards her. He was around her height and was noticeably fresher looking than the others. Clutched in his hands were two black and silver Smith and Wesson pistols.

“Hey, another red head like me.”

The man kept walking towards her, never wavering in his step, despite the amount of anarchy Jirobo and Sakon were causing to his companions around him. He didn’t respond, only stared back with deep black marks around his eyes, making them stand out eerily in the fog.

Off put by him, Tayuya grinned, trying to toy with him.

“Well, this place isn’t big enough for two red-heads, so-”

“I completely agree.”

Tayuya lifted her eyebrows in mock surprise. “Oh, so you can talk.”  Not liking the way he wasn’t responding to her ribbing, she decided it was time to get serious. “Too bad, let me fix that for you!” Lunging at him, she dived and shot. Not staying still, she bounded back up and danced out of his line of sight, searching for the perfect opening.

Gaara smoothly moved to the left. He retaliated and fired off a couple of shots. She was fast. He managed to scrape her arm. He lost sight of her, but quickly spotted her moving behind him. He spun around and ducked. He brought up his guns quickly and released a volley of fire, keeping in mind to avoid accidentally injuring his teammates. Two shots plowed into her chest, throwing her to the ground. Cursing, he watched as she staggered to her feet, unharmed. _Bullet proof vests. Temari was right._ _Head and limb shots will yield results_. Reloading as fast as he could, his eyes darted around, making sure his sister was out of harm’s way.

**xXx**

Temari squirmed around as Shikamaru tried to run while carrying her. A quick glance at his face told her he wasn’t happy. Her heart beat unnaturally in her chest, a bit nervous with their proximity.

“Why are we leaving them? We should be over there fighting.”

She remarked, repressing several grunts of pain from the awkward gait. “We have to go back, we can’t just abandon them.” She pushed at his chest, causing him to forcing him to either slow down or drop her. “If you don’t want to go back, fine, but put me down.”

Shikamaru stopped completely. He looked down at her, his face still in its hard expression. “Temari, what were you _thinking_?” He asked sharply.

“What are you talking about?”

Shikamaru set her down and stepped away. He appeared so uncomfortable and irritated. Surprised, Temari had never seen him like this before. His perpetually bored expression was nowhere to be found.

“Why would go out there, already injured, and try to take on the biggest one? Do you have no sense of self-preservation?”

Slightly offended, Temari crossed her arms. “And what would you have me do? Sit back and let others fight?”

“They would have protected you. Kiba-”

“And what, force Kiba to watch his own back and mine, to protect me? Sit back and let others get hurt for my stupid decisions?” Her voice got uncharacteristically louder as she spoke.

Shikamaru licked his lips as he looked away from her penetrating stare. Rubbing the back of his neck in frustration, he knew berating her would only serve to piss her off. He opted for a new way.

“Do you have any idea what I-, how Gaara felt when he saw you out there, about to be shot?”

Temari looked down. Her gaze fell onto her legs. Her knee looked like a mess and her thigh was a mass of red. Not wanting to dwell on her injuries, she gazed past them and at the muddy jungle ground. Looking back, it had been incredibly stupid for her to go out there. She had fallen for their trap and was now crippled, now a hindrance rather than an asset. She stayed silent, realizing that she had worried the hell out of him and her brother. Despite her strength, she was still vulnerable.

Shikamaru took her silence as her way of apologizing. Rubbing the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, he sighed. “Do they hurt?” He asked quietly, looking down and wincing at the state of her knee.

Temari scoffed. “I can bear it.” Feeling awkward, she gazed around, trying to discern where they were.

“I would hope so. It’s going to be a while before we get any help.”

“Where were you taking me anyway?”

“Oh, Kankuro is somewhere over here with Hinata.”

“What, you were just going to drop me off with him and go back by yourself?”

“You’re in no position to argue. As you said yourself, it would be pointless to fight with the others if they’re just going to have to protect you and themselves. Gaara insisted I take you away.”

Temari rolled her eyes. “Of course he would.”

Shikamaru began to check the trees around him. Staying close to Temari, he went about searching the tree trunks. Watching him for a bit, Temari finally asked him what he was doing.

“I made a mark on one of the trees by where I left Kankuro so it would be easier to find him. He stayed back from the fight since he was watching over Hinata and couldn’t just leave her. When Gaara demanded I remove you from the battle, I figured it would be best to leave you with him.” Spotting the carved mark on a trunk a little ways away, he stood by it and began to make bird calls. After a couple of pigeon-like hooting noises, Kankuro popped out of some bushes and joined them.

“Hey, you’re back pretty early. Did everything turn out alright?”

Shikamaru shook his head and nodded towards the direction where Temari was.

“I just came back to drop something off.”

Curious, Kankuro followed his gaze and froze as it fell on his bloody sister. Instantly, he was standing over her and inspecting her wounds.

“What the fuck happened Temari?! Are you all right? Do you need anything?” He whirled towards Shikamaru and pointed down at her. “What happened?” He demanded. “Did you let this happen?

Irritated at being babied over, Temari shoved him away.

“It was my fault, don’t bring him into this.” She sat up, trying to stand. At once, Shikamaru was on one side of her and Kankuro on the other, grabbing her arms to help her up. Once she was on her own two feet, and steady enough, she pushed them away. “I’m fine. Like I said, I can bear it.” She glanced over at Shikamaru. “Shouldn’t you be heading back there? I’m sure they need some help.”

Shikamaru stared at her for a moment before nodding. Twisting around and preparing to run off in the direction they had come, he looked back at Kankuro. “Kakashi was shot too. I might send Kiba here with him, as Gaara and I take over.” He sighed. “How troublesome. Hopefully all the noise will attract the others and bring help. We’re not going to last much longer at this rate.” With that, he took off, running as fast as he could back to the battle field.

Kankuro turned to Temari. Not knowing how to help his stubborn sister, he shrugged and pointed behind him. “Hinata is over here. Once Kiba gets here, I’ll go and help out.”

Temari clenched her teeth as she took a couple of steps. With all the muck and rain around, it was really hard to step and not slip. Kankuro hovered around her, ready to help if she wanted it, but she refused.

“Have you seen any of the others? And what was the explosion?”

Kankuro shook his head dejectedly as he forced a couple of thick bushes apart to make Temari’s walking easier. “I’ve only seen you, Shikamaru, Gaara, and Kiba. Everyone is else is who knows where.” Coming to the little safe zone he had created, he watched as Temari sank down next to an old fallen tree trunk and settled down, putting pressure on her leg. While carrying Hinata, he had come across a tiny portion of the jungle that had thick, tall trees. They were perfect for climbing and provided a secure place to hide, and the bushes around the trees trunks were dense and hard to move through. Hinata was propped up against one of the trees, still unconscious. “As for the explosion, I’m not sure. But judging how big it was, it had to be fueled by gasoline, or something else that is highly flammable and explosive. My bets on a plane.”

Temari leaned back on the tree and closed her eyes. Exhausted, her body felt heavy and worn out. Never in her life had she wanted a glass of scotch and a warm bath so badly. “A plane? ….whose?” Her body cried out for sleep and warmth, but knowing the danger that was around, she fought it.

Kankuro climbed up into one of the trees, resuming his perch. He kept surveillance, switching trees and heights every so often. “I dunno. Either they’re fucked, or we are. Either way, only one side is going to get off here, especially is there is only one plane left. If only we knew which one, and could get the hell out of here.”

“Hmm.” Temari sighed. “This all went to hell pretty fast, huh? I wonder how Itachi is taking this.” Remembering the very reason why they had come in the first place, Temari grimaced. “Sasuke and the blond kid are some lucky bastards if they’re still alive.”

Kankuro glanced down at her curiously. “Why do you think Orochimaru is here? If they thought they killed Sasuke, how and why are they here now?" 

Temari opened one eye and looked up at him. “No idea. Maybe they knew he was okay all along, but wanted to string Itachi along. Maybe they found out we were mobilizing to move out, and they came to take him before we got to him. Who knows.” She closed her eye and crossed her arms. Annoyed, she kept fidgeting around.

  
“God I hate waiting.”

**xXx**

“Okay, I’m going to break off the part that’s sticking out the most. That way, when we move him, we don’t end up jerking it around, possibly worsening it. Choji, hold his shoulders and arms down in case he wakes up. Hopefully, he’ll stay under; it’d be better.”

Iruka’s hands shook slightly as they hovered above the splinter of wood jutting out from Sasuke’s stomach. He needed to do this as quickly as possible. It had been the final result of the debate on whether to leave the splinter intact or pull it out. It would be dangerous to pull it out, seeing as it may have penetrated an artery and may be the only thing keeping him from bleeding out. Using a hunting knife he found in the pack Itachi had given with uniforms, he planned to sever the bigger part of the splinter, leaving behind only a smaller portion that would be easier to deal with.

Choji nodded and grabbed Sasuke’s arms. He bent them and pinned them each to a shoulder. Ino tearfully watched from a far, getting nauseous as Iruka and Choji discussed what they needed to do. She couldn’t stomach the idea and moved away. Moving quickly, Iruka took a deep breath to steady himself and began to cut. He held the fragment that jutted out steadily as he sawed through it. More blood spilled out with each movement. Sweating nervously, he noticed as Sasuke started to move.

“Choji, keep him still! C’mon Sasuke, just a bit more….”

Slicing through the last bit, the tip of the splinter came off. Putting the knife away, Iruka leaned over Sasuke and pressed down.

“Ino! Get me something to stop the bleeding!”

Nodding erratically, Ino searched through the pack. She tossed out everything, using the faint light from the fires of the plane explosion to light the ground. Sifting through the items on the ground frantically, she found a small roll of gauze.

“Iruka!”

Iruka swiftly caught the roll she tossed to him and began to unravel it.

“Alright, now lift him up a bit. I’m going to wrap this around his stomach, tightly. I know it’ll be dangerous to move him, but we can’t just leave it like this.”

Choji hooked his hands under Sasuke’s arms and pulled him up enough for Iruka to properly bind the wound. He wound it around Sasuke’s abdomen several times, grimacing as he could feel the chewed up end he had been cutting still sticking out. Once he was done, he leaned back and wiped the sweat from his brow. They needed to get him off the island _fast_. They needed to find the others.

Ino stepped over, gazing down at their handiwork.

“What do we do now?”

She glanced up at Choji and Iruka, but neither answered. Choji looked back down at Sasuke before turning back to her and Iruka rubbed the back of his neck.

“We need to move. Itachi and the others are looking for him. It’d be easier to find them if we’re moving. We’re going to have to carry him around. Cho-”

“No one is carrying me around. I can walk.”

Startled at the clipped, grunted words, the trio glanced down to see Sasuke gazing at them through a haze of pain. He was attempting to sit up, but was doing so very slowly. His chest was moving rapidly up and down as he took in quick breaths, trying to move. Iruka’s mouth opened, and then closed. He wanted to argue with Sasuke, but knew it was pointless. The raven had a hard, determined look on his face; it was the same one Iruka would get from Naruto. There would be no persuading him otherwise. Pressing his lips together tightly, Iruka relented and nodded. If the pain became too much for him, then he would argue. Until then, it looked like the teen would do what he wanted.

Iruka reached down and helped him get to his feet. Sasuke tolerated his help, but soon pushed him away.

“It’s bad but not too bad. I’ll make it.”

Stumbling a bit, he resisted the urge to curl into a ball of pain. He was an Uchiha. He could handle a little impalement. His legs were a bit shaky, but he’d be fine. The cold of the rain and wind helped numb everything. Iruka turned to him and gave him an inflexible look.

“If you want to walk by yourself, fine. But if I see that you can’t, I don’t care what you say. I’m taking you with us one way or another.”

Sasuke scoffed. He winced as the quick exhalation jarred his wound. “You sound like Naruto.” He nodded once. “Agreed.”

“Alright. We came from over here,” Iruka pointed behind them, towards the fire burning, “so let’s go this way.” He pointed north. “The explosion is bound to have caught some one’s attention. Maybe they’re on their way here.”

As they began to trek carefully through the rainy jungle, Iruka kept a close eye on Sasuke. At the slightest indication that it truly became too dangerous to let him continue to walk, Iruka would force him to stop. It would be suicidal to let himself push his body past what it could handle, determination be damned. After a few minutes of silence among them, besides Sasuke’s stumbling tread, a sharp rustling noise caused them to stop walking. Iruka looked around, keeping his eyes open for any unwanted surprises.

Sasuke latched on to a tree with one hand and held the other against his stomach. He was sweating with amount of pain he was enduring. He felt sick, but refused to show it. There was nothing they could do if he complained, something he would never do. Every step he took was hell, but he’d soldier on.

A high pitched hyena laugh erupted around them. Startled, they all stepped closer, keeping their backs protected in a loose circle. Ino was clinging on to Choji and Iruka was glancing all around him, while making sure to keep an eye on Sasuke.

“Oh, you’re not getting away from me that easily!”

Iruka spun around and froze as he found where the voice was coming from. The person it belonged to was heading right towards them. _It was the man that had blown up the plane! But how is he still alive?! He was next to the plane when it blew up! He should be dead…_ Iruka felt cold sweat drip slid down his temple. The man slowly advanced moved closer, a maniacal grin plastered on his face.

“And I bet you thought I was done for back there. You should really work on your murdering skills.” His voice lost its light tone as he spoke and darkened. He stared right at Iruka. The man’s cheek had a deep slice across it, right where Iruka had pistol whipped him. His clothes appeared a bit singed, and he was holding a large hunting knife in his right hand.

Swallowing hard, Iruka analyzed their options. There was only one thing to do that would help the others. He stepped away from the circle and stood in between the man and the group. Lighting streaked across the sky, bathing them in white light.

“Choji, keep moving. Make sure Ino and Sasuke make it. I’ll buy you some time.”

Too shocked to argue, Choji hesitated before nodded numbly. He understood what Iruka was trying to do. He began to walk backwards, tugging Ino along.

“Wait Iruka! We can’t leave you behind!” Ino cried out, struggling futilely against Choji’s tight grip.

“There’s no point. He’ll end up chasing us down. Sasuke can’t run. Please don’t argue anymore and just go.”

Tearfully she glared at him. “Iruka! .......make sure you come back…” she called out, finally adhering to his request. She gazed back at him sorrowfully as she disappeared into the dense foliage.

Following them as best as he could, Sasuke paused and turned to look at Iruka. The raven stared at him, silently nodding once. “I doubt Naruto would be happy to find out his father died when we get off the island.” He spoke hoarsely, pressing his hand hard against his stomach.

Iruka let out a small grin at the statement. He understood it as Sasuke’s way of telling him to be careful.

“No, he would not.” He said softly at the teen’s retreating back. He was alone with the man now. Oddly feeling no fear or trepidation, and his heart beating strongly in his chest, Iruka turned to face the man almost robotically.

“Don’t worry. You’ll see them real soon, once I’m done with you and kill them.” The man jeered, brandishing his knife. “But for now, you have my fullest attention.” He bowed mockingly. “Kidomaru, at your service and your soon to be executioner.”

Iruka snorted. He felt strangely out of place, almost as if he were detached from his body. Mock bowing back, he reached the side pocket of his rucksack and removed an equally large blade, quickly adjusting his grip on the black handle. “Iruka Umino, at your service and your soon to be annihilator.”

“Now things are getting started!” Kidomaru cried, as he felt his heart pumping furiously in excitement. He had the very person that foiled his bomb attack. And he would make him _pay dearly_ for ruining such a perfect opportunity. Grinning at the change in his fortune, he pondered their location. _This is like a video game! I just need a flawless background for when I deal the final blow…._ His eyes lit up as he thought of the perfect location. “If you would be so kind as to follow me, I feel this place is a bit to woodsy for my taste.”

Iruka stared hard at him. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded once. The longer they dragged this out, the more time the others had to get away. _It would be best to do as he wishes. There’s no way to judge how long this will be, but hopefully the others find Naruto soon._ He had no idea what was about to happen, but he knew that if by some miracle he managed to win, there would be one less person standing between he and his son.

Kidomaru smirked at the brunette agreed. “Then off we go!” He took off in the direction he had come in, making sure to keep the other man in his peripherals in case he tried to run off. “This place should look a little familiar to you…”

**xXx**

The sudden burst of brilliant orange light in the sky, and the heavy winds released stopped everyone in their tracks. Only feeling a gust of strong, hot air hit them, Itachi, Naruto, and Neji’s team all turned simultaneously towards the enormous explosion lighting up the sky. A hailstorm of fiery debris rained down, creating a beautiful, yet terrifying display. Shocked, Naruto turned to the others. Neji, Ten Ten, and Lee were still in the clearing with them, having been stopped by the outburst.

“Hey, …what was that? Was that another bomb?”

Neji silently looked around. He turned towards Itachi, a slight worried tone in his voice. “There are only two things on this island that could cause an explosion like that.”

Itachi turned to him. He crossed his arms intimidatingly and tried to hold back the anger from his voice. Things were not turning out as smoothly as he had planned. Everything was going to shit and he was getting sick of it.

“Neji, you mentioned that you had just left the enemy plane?” His voice had a slight edge to it.

Ten Ten answered for him. “We did. Only thing is that we came from over there,” She pointed east, “but the explosion is over here.” She pointed north, and then stood still as she processed the information. “Oh my God, Ino and Choji were still on the plane!”

“Wait, wait, wait! You’re saying that your plane was blown up!? But, but…..how are we supposed to get out of here? You said that you sabotaged the enemy plane!”

Naruto interjected frantically. After everything that had happened, they were still going to be stuck here?  _No fucking way! This is why I hate flying! I hate planes!_ It soon dawned on him that Ten Ten had mentioned that there had been to other people on the plane. And now they were probably dead. A pang of dread hit him. _How the hell did this happen? All I wanted to do was to go to Iruka and fill out a position and get paid. All I wanted was my ramen. How the hell did I end up stranded on an island with a stuck up bastard who has people out to get him?_ And now, even his dad was here looking for him, on an island with crazy people with guns. Groaning in frustration, he turned to the others. He opened his mouth to complain when he noticed how serious they all were. Even Lee was uncharacteristically somber and silent.

Itachi scowled. “Ten Ten, do you have another gun?” Not waiting for her to reply, he nodded towards Naruto. “Give one to him. There will be no more splitting up. We’ll travel together.” He then turned to Naruto, who was awkwardly handling the gun Ten Ten had given him. “Shoot or don’t, it’s your life. “We’ll be going straight to the explosion sight. If they set it off successfully, that means they’re still alive and probably close.” He took Naruto’s weapon, ejected the empty clip and slammed in a new one before handing it back. “I want them dead.” He said simply.

Neji, Ten Ten, and Lee all nodded simultaneously. Itachi reached up and tightened his ponytail.

“Any injured we find are to be immediately placed out of danger. It’ll be useless fighting to protect them. Any injured beyond help are to be taken care of.” He eyed each of them. “Do I make myself clear? We are going in to finish this, one way or another. I will _not_ tolerate any more setbacks.”

“Yes, sir!”

Itachi nodded once. “Neji, Ten Ten, you cover me from behind, keeping blondie in the middle. Lee, you watch the rear end. Let’s go.”

Taking off to the awe-inspiring display of fire, they traveled quickly. Thunder roared ominously as lightning flashed brightly. The cold rain began to pick up, valiantly fighting the fires that threatened to spread.


End file.
